


Running to a Standstill

by AvengersCompound (emilyevanston)



Series: Running to a Standstill [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Anal Sex, Double Penetration, F/M, Hydra (Marvel), M/M, Multi, Mutant Powers, On the Run, Oral Sex, Polyamory, Polyamory Negotiations, Reader-Insert, Single Parents, Slow Burn, Smut, Star Spangled Bingo, Step-parents, Threesome - F/M/M, Vaginal Sex, Widowed, industrial garments and handling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-08-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:48:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 38,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23802598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emilyevanston/pseuds/AvengersCompound
Summary: While on the run from an unknown organization trying to take your son, you meet two super-soldiers.  While they try to help you get to the bottom of who is hunting you and your son, feelings come out and admissions are made that make your personal life even more tricky.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Reader, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark
Series: Running to a Standstill [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1898101
Comments: 222
Kudos: 217
Collections: Star Spangled Bingo 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> **Square filled:** _@star-spangled-bingo_ \- Widow’s Bite

Bucky sat cross-legged on the floor of Clint’s apartment fiddling with Natasha’s widow bites. They’d malfunctioned while they were out chasing down some creeps trying to hold up a bank using stolen alien tech and now parts of them were spread out on the stained Ikea coffee table along with his machine gun, Clint’s bow, a handful of arrows, and some throwing knives. Bucky had already been zapped three times, and at this point, he was determined to fix these things just to spite them.

“Fuck,” he cursed as he was zapped once again. He shook his hand and sucked on his finger.

“Just leave them, James,” Natasha said, as she passed through the room on her way to the fridge. “Stark can fix them.”

“This is way below Stark’s pay grade. I can do it,” Bucky argued, and like the miniature tasers were trying to spite him right back he got zapped again. “Fuck! You little…”

There was a rapping on Clint’s door followed by a snuffling sound and scratching.

“I’m comin’, I’m comin’,” Clint complained, tripping over Steve’s shield and then his own quiver as he made his way to the door.

He pulled the door open to reveal Clint’s one-eyed Labrador mix, a little boy who looked to be about three or four years old, and you.

“Hey, Clint,” you said, cheerily as the little boy chased the dog inside. “Returning Lucky. Thanks for letting me take him out.”

“You kidding?” Clint replied as Steve quickly got to his feet and started picking up weapons and putting them up out of the reach of little hands. “Did me a favor. Thanks for taking him with you.”

“Of course, Geo loves him,” you replied. “Geo, you say thank you to Mister Barton?”

“Dank,” the little boy who seemed to be named Geo said. “Nad, Nad, Nad…”

Natasha smiled softly. It was a rare thing to see and it made Bucky feel a little warm on the inside. A feeling he was still getting used to experiencing.

“What is it, malysh?” She asked.

Geo then babbled a series of words that seemed to include ‘balloon’, ‘doggy’, ‘fly’, and ‘cake’ but Bucky couldn’t quite follow what he was actually saying.

“Well that all sounds fantastic,” Natasha said, brushing the little boy’s hair off his face. “What a wonderful day you’ve had.”

He bounced on his toes and kissed her cheek before running off toward Bucky.

“Geo, honey,” you said in that patient voice that some parents couldn’t seem to be able to perfect. “We need to go,” you said taking a step into the room. “Sorry, Clint.”

“Mama, but dis,” Geo complained, coming over to Bucky and patting his arm.

“No, honey, they’re doing work,” you said, as Geo caressed the metal plates on Bucky’s prosthetic arm.

“Whad dis?” Geo said, looking up at Bucky.

“Oh my god,” you said, sounding mortified as Clint stifled a laugh. “I’m so sorry, Sergeant… Barnes?” You said his name like a question, confirming his identity.

Bucky shook his head. “It’s fine,” he said to you and turned his attention back to Geo. “That’s my arm.”

“Is a robod arm?” Geo asked.

“Yeah, it’s a robot arm,” Bucky answered.

Clint laughed and closed the door behind you. “You might as well get comfortable. This is gonna be a while.”

“You’re sure?” You asked, “You look busy.”

“Nah, Bucky’s just trying to fix something he can’t fix,” Clint said. “You want a drink?”

“A beer would be amazing,” you said and took a seat on the couch.

“You fix fing?” Geo asked.

“Yeah, that’s right. I’m fixing these?” Bucky said, showing the little boy the Widow Bites. Steve gave Bucky a look that was slightly disapproving but he didn’t actually say anything. Bucky wasn’t sure he was good with kids. He always felt a little awkward, like he was going to say or do the wrong thing. He did like kids though. They didn’t know what he was and they were true to their emotions. If they didn’t like you, you knew right away. Maybe showing the Widow Bites to a toddler was a terrible thing to do, but he seemed interested and you didn’t say anything, so Bucky figured he can’t have done anything too bad.

Clint handed you a beer and introduced you to everyone as Geo looked at all the pieces of the Widow Bites carefully like he really understood what was going on with them. “They rent the place two floors below this one,” Clint explained.

“Geo loves Lucky, so Clint lets us take him to the park when we go and he doubles as my guard dog,” you added.

“So what is it you do?” Steve asked.

“Oh, this and that,” you said, cryptically. “I sometimes do shifts at a coffee place down the street. I babysit. I do some temp work here and there.”

“That must be difficult,” Steve said.

“I make do,” you said. “Geo’s dad died and I do what I have to to get by.”

Steve frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

You shrugged. “Thank you, I’m sure you understand loss. Given… everything.”

“Dis go dare,” Geo said, pointing at one of the wires and moving his finger to a circuit board.

“Yeah? I dunno, buddy,” Bucky said, not sure how to tell a toddler that he could just randomly solder pieces of a weapon together.

“Goes dare,” he insisted, climbing into Bucky’s lap.

“You might as well just do it,” Natasha teased as she lounged back on the recliner. “It’s not like he’ll make it worse.”

“Alright,” Bucky said. “You keep your hands back okay?”

“Otay,” Geo said, putting one hand on each of Bucky’s arms. Bucky carefully soldered the wire into place and powered the tasers on. They started up fine and when he gave the to Natasha and she tested them out they seemed to work fine. Bucky looked from you to Geo and back at Natasha with the tasers.

“Did … did you just fix them, pal?” He asked.

“Uhh… he… kinda has a knack for things like that,” you said, putting your drink down. “Hey, Geo, maybe we should go.”

The way you reacted reminded Bucky of a prey animal who’d realized they’d just gotten themselves cornered. Your eyes flicked to the exits and back to your son. “Hey,” Steve said, gently. That commanding but soothing tone coming to him instinctively. “You’re alright. You’re safe here with us.”

“Yeah, hon,” Clint agreed. “If you can’t trust Captain America, who can you trust?”

You seemed to relax back in the chair and Geo climbed off Bucky’s lap and toddled over to where Lucky was lying and lay down against him. Steve looked at the little boy and then at you. “If you need to talk to anyone… or you need any help.”

You shook your head. “It’s… fine. I’ve been dealing with it.”

“Dealing with what exactly?” Steve asked.

“You ever read the book ‘Firestarter’? Or see the movie? The movie had Drew Barrymore in it?” When Steve’s blank look never changed. “No, of course not. Why would you? Anyway, it’s like that. And … well, less attention the better. So thank you, but I’m fine.”

Steve looked you over and gave a nod. “If you ever change your mind…”

“I know where you are. And I appreciate the offer,” you stood up and threw your beer bottle into Clint and Natasha’s recycling bin. “I better take him back home. He’s gonna pass out.”

Bucky looked back over at Geo who now had his eyes closed and was curled into Lucky’s side. You picked up the little boy and he snuggled into your neck and opened and closed his hands on your back. “Thanks again, Clint.”

“Yeah, no worries,” Clint said getting up and opening the door for you. “He likes going out with you.”

“I’ll see you,” you said and hurried out of the room.

“Way to go,” Natasha teased. “You scared away our only normal friend.”

“What did she mean by the Firestarter thing?” Bucky asked.

“See, that’s new,” Clint said, flopping down on the couch. “I just knew she was a widow. Firestarter is a story about this couple that goes through a bunch of medical testing at college and then they have a kid who can light fires with her mind. And the people who did the testing on them start chasing them around the country to get the kid.”

Steve stiffened up and pulled out his phone. “You didn’t know she was on the run?”

Clint shook his head. “Just a widow with a kid. I have heaps of single mom tenants.”

“Clint likes to offer them cheap rent and then they’re so grateful they sleep with him,” Natasha explained.

“Hey now!” Clint spluttered. “Don’t make me sound like an asshole. I offer them cheap rent ‘cause they are usually getting back on their feet. Plus they’re often divorcees and they feel safer in the building two Avengers live in. Can’t help it if some of them start hanging around and making me food and then one thing leads to another.”

“Maybe I should do some checking up on that,” Steve said. “If she’s in trouble, we can’t just ignore it.”

“She obviously doesn’t want to be noticed, maybe you should just leave it alone,” Natasha said.

“We’re authority figures. I can understand why she might not trust that we can help,” Steve said. “But you and I both know we can.”

“Fine!” Natasha said, holding up her hands in defeat. “Do what you like.”

“Did you really sleep with her?” Bucky asked, getting up off the floor and moving to the recliner as Steve tapped around on his phone.

“Her? No. Just something that’s happened a few times with other tenants. Nothing planned,” Clint explained. “She’s cute though, right.”

Clint wasn’t wrong. Bucky did think you were attractive. You seemed nice too, the fact you trusted Geo with him meant a lot to him and the way you didn’t make a huge deal about Steve. A lot of women always made a huge deal of Steve. Not that Bucky could blame them for that too. He’d been harboring a crush on Steve that stretched way back before most women even looked twice at Steve.

“You’re really okay with that, Tasha?” Bucky asked. Natasha and Clint didn’t exactly have a conventional relationship. It wasn’t really one he was used to seeing but they seemed happy. He kept expecting jealousy to rear up but they just spoke about how they each slept with other people like it was no big deal at all.

“Yeah, of course,” Natasha said. “Gotta let go of the idea monogamy is the only possible happily ever after, James. Some people find happiness alone and in themselves, some find it in the beds of strangers, some with one loving partner. And some with multiple.”

“And some people like to shack up with their best friend and get up to all kinds of shenanigans,” Clint added, moving from the couch to the recliner with Natasha and curling up with her.

“Find what it is that makes you happy,” Natasha concluded. “Besides sleeping with one person for the rest of my life-” She mimed yawning and Clint laughed and snuggled into her more.

“If only…” Bucky muttered as he looked at Steve.

Steve looked up from his phone puzzled and raised an eyebrow at him. “What’s that, Bucky?”

“Nothing, go back to being a snoop,” Bucky grumbled, once again ignoring the clear opportunity to come clean about his feelings.

“You want us to set you up with her, Buck?” Clint asked. “She’s really fun. She and Geo come up a bunch. We eat pizza and play videogames or take the dog out. She’s artistic too and snarky. And Nat even likes her.”

“It’s true, I do,” Natasha said. “She brings us coffee and croissants from the place she works.”

“Then what would she want with me then?” Bucky asked, almost folding in on himself. Clint gave him a look that both said he understood and that he pitied him and Natasha scowled at him.

“James,” she said.

Bucky knew he had to deflect quickly or he’d get a lecture about being worthy of love, and he was really not in the mood for that. He quickly waves a hand in Steve’s direction. “Set her up with Steve. He’s the one worried about her past and she treated him like a normal person.”

“Oh that’s a good point,” Clint said, nudging Natasha.

Natasha picked up a cushion and threw it at Steve. He caught it on reflex and looked up at him. “How about we organize dinner for you and her?” Natasha suggested. “Then you can try and get her backstory in person in a less aggressive fashion.”

“That’s a good idea,” Steve said, completely oblivious that he was being set up on a date. “Set it up.”

Natasha smirked at Bucky and winked. Bucky smiled back and hoped that it hid the little flare of jealousy he just felt raise it’s head.


	2. Chapter 2

Steve had expected to meet you out somewhere casual. He hadn’t really been thinking about this as a date-date. More a casual meeting to try and get to the bottom of what you were hiding from. He’d agreed to let Natasha and Clint organize the venue and convince you to meet him there because they knew you better. He’d been given the address and name of the restaurant and he’d dressed in his usual casual wear of a blue button-down and tan slacks and when he’d shown up, he suddenly felt very underdressed.

The restaurant was lined in hardwood, and decorated with pots of fresh herbs and copper cookware, giving it a rustic farm feel, but the floor to ceiling wine racks that took up three walls and the fact most of the guests were wearing suits or cocktail dresses said that it was anything but homey.

He arrived before you and was taken to a booth table under some wine barrels, that’s boxed seats were covered in cushions. He was just looking over the menu of items - some of which he’d never even heard of before and all had prices that made him glad for the 60 years of back pay the army had owed him - when you arrived. You were wearing a champagne cocktail dress with a gold lace overlay and around your shoulders you had a red wool shawl.

Steve stood and greeted you with a kiss on the cheek, waiting for you to sit before he did too. “You look beautiful,” he said. He realized that it probably sounded ingenuine - the kind of thing you just say to someone on a first date - but he meant it. He’d thought you were attractive the day he met you, even in the hoodie and jeans that were stained with grass and had a patch where it looked like either you or Geo had dropped ice cream. Tonight you looked stunning. The dress was flattering to your figure and you looked radiant with your hair and makeup done for a night out. Mostly he loved the way you smiled. You seemed excited to be out on this date with him, though a little nervous.

“Thank you,” you said. “I can’t even remember when I last went out on a date. I was surprised when Natasha said you were interested. So I wanted to make the effort. Who knows when I will get to again?”

“Hopefully it won’t be that long,” Steve said genuinely. Not exactly meaning that it would be him that took you out, but realizing that’s exactly how it sounded when you smiled and picked up your menu like you were trying to hide how excited you were.

Natasha and Clint had obviously made you think this was a real date and even though he hadn’t come here tonight thinking the same thing, he decided that he should treat it the same way. Besides, maybe Clint and Natasha knew something he didn’t and the two of you might be a good match. Maybe you’d be able to distract him from his crush on Bucky that was never going to go anywhere at the very least.

A waiter came over to take your drink orders and with a little discussion, the two of you decided to share a bottle of Merlot.

“So you haven’t been out with anyone for a long time?” Steve asked as he browsed the menu.

You shook your head and looked up at him over your menu. “Not since before Geo was born. I bet you date a lot.”

He shook his head. “You know,” he said. “I think this might be my first real one. I mean… don’t get me wrong, I’ve had relationships, but they always came out of my work and we never made it to the dating part.”

“Wow, no wonder you picked this,” you said. “Of course you’d want to make it special.”

“Oh,” he said. “This was Clint and Nat. I guess they’re playing match-maker.”

You laughed. “This is so not a Clint and Nat place.”

“No,” he chuckled. “Well, maybe Nat, but she’d be working an angle.”

You laughed and the waiter returned with the wine. He poured a small amount for Steve to try. He had no idea what made a wine good or not, so when it didn’t taste like vinegar Steve gave a small nod and the waiter topped off both glasses. He took both your orders. Steve went with a dish that had ham, mozzarella, and truffles, followed by a steak because at least he recognized what they were. You were a little more daring ordering spugnole as a starter, followed by tagliatelle.

“So why don’t you date?” You asked, taking a sip of the wine.

Steve let out a breath and shook his head. “Time mostly. Never had the time to actually date,” he explained. “But it’s not only that.”

You put your hand on his and smiled softly. “What else is it?”

“I’ll tell you what,” Steve said, giving your hand a small squeeze. “I’ll tell you my story and you tell me yours.”

You seemed to mull the question over for a moment. “I’m worried that if you know, that will attract their attention.”

“You know that doesn’t make any sense don’t you?” Steve reasoned.

“Maybe. But,” you said taking your hand away. “This is the longest we’ve ever managed to stay in the same place. I’m expecting them any moment and if you decide to try and find them, then they’ll know it’s because of him.”

“We can keep you safe. And Geo. It’s what we do,” he said.

You let out a breath. “You go first.”

The waiter came out with the starters and when he left again, Steve took a bite of ham and chewed it slowly, focusing on the smokey, salty taste.

“Are you avoiding?” You asked as you collected some mushrooms onto your fork.

“Maybe a little,” he said. “I guess there’s a lot of factors. I don’t know how much you know about my past but I wasn’t always this. I was small. Really small. And sick. I had a long list of medical issues. I was bullied a lot. No one really looked at me as a possible romantic partner. And I suppose I did go on dates back then, but they were double dates Bucky organized and there was always this supreme look of disappointment on the face of the woman he brought them to meet me. Like they expected me to look like him. I was a letdown. I think it affected me in a lot of ways. When women look at me now - like …’

“…They used to look at Bucky?” You suggested.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “That. Well, I can’t help but think about back then. And then I wonder if they like me for me. I need time to get to know people and that doesn’t work out in the real world. Only with people in mine and then work gets in the way. Plus…”

He stopped talking and considered if he had it in him to admit this last piece. The bit about how he had feelings for his best friend. He hadn’t admitted that to anyone. Not Bucky. Not Nat. Not even Sam. He had said he’d tell you his if you told you yours, and it was only fair to keep his side of the bargain if he wanted you to do the same.

“I have had a crush on Bucky for a very, very long time,” he said.

“Oh my god,” you said, dropping your jaw. “Does he know?”

“No,” he said quickly. “I didn’t want to make him feel awkward. He was always a real ladies man. And now… he’s healing and I doubt his sexuality has changed,” Steve explained. “And please know -” he reached over the table and touched your hand again. “I like women too. The relationships I’ve had have been with women. It’s just… you know?”

“No,” you said. “I mean, yes. I get it. It’s okay. I know how you feel.”

He let out a breath he didn’t even know he was holding. “So… it’s unrequited. But I think I do a lot of comparing people to him, which isn’t healthy. A couple of people have made the cut, but in the end, things weren’t meant to be. So maybe I’m not supposed to have that. Which I guess is another thing. I once had someone tell me that I was nothing if I couldn’t be a soldier. And I think it got to me. This here -” he gestured around him. “- is a level of normal that I don’t often allow myself to have.”

You nodded and took a drink from your wine. Not a small one either. You swallowed the dark liquid like it was water and when the glass was drained you filled it again. “You didn’t hold back did you?”

“I said I’d tell you mine if you told me yours,” Steve said.

You nodded and leaned back against the back of the booth. “Yes. I suppose you did,” you agreed. “It’s long.”

Steve shrugged. “For once, I have time.”

“When I went to college, I did lots of stupid little things for money. I sold blood. I tutored high school kids. Just any little thing to give me some money to cover my bills. One day the biology department had these posters up for an experiment. It paid a lot. You got $100 if you were accepted. And if you made it to the end they’d give you $7500. So I signed up. I figured that whatever they were doing was probably safe if it had gotten to the human trial stage,” you explained. Steve couldn’t exactly criticize your reasoning. He’d signed up for some pretty extensive human experimentation himself.

“I was accepted and once a week I’d go in with a group of about thirty other people and we’d have some injections and then we’d be tested. It was a little odd. The injections were painful and the tests were strange. They’d ask us to try and reprogram a computer. Then try and guess what cards they were holding up. We’d go on a treadmill for a bit and lift some heavyweights. Then we’d be sent home,” you explained. “I made friends with most of the other people but I also met the man I’d end up marrying.”

You stopped talking when the waiter approached and cleared away your plates and didn’t start again until he’d bought out the entrees. Steve waited patiently. He knew there was no point in rushing the story. “After about six weeks things started to happen. John, my husband was running much faster than should be possible. And I was guessing every single card correctly. It never lasted. By the following day we were back to normal, but every time we had an injection it was more. By the end of the experiment, I’d get those shots and be able to hear every single thought of every person in the building. Even the ones people don’t want you to hear. The intrusive thoughts you don’t even want to be having. John could run at the speed of light.”

You drained your glass again and topped it off again and Steve leaned over and took your hand. “What happened?”

“Project got canceled and we were told we were free to go. We got paid our money,” you answered. “Only one day I heard… In my mind… These people… I think they were government agents, coming to take us. The injection hadn’t completely worn off yet. I told John and he packed a backpack, scooped me up into his arms and we ran.

“It was fine for a while. We changed our identities. Got cash-in-hand work. No one came for us. Then I got pregnant and when Geo was born the equipment went haywire. When he cried it broke every machine on the floor cried along with him. They wanted to keep him there to be tested but we knew what would happen so we ran again. Only those people found us. They killed John. I got away. But I’ve been running ever since.”

“Do you know who they were?” Steve asked.

You shook your head. “I have no idea. They never thought of anything that linked them to an organization. Just things that made them seem like authority figures. Official. You know?”

Steve nodded. “I understand.”

“If they’re official, like the CIA you can’t help me,” you said with pain in your voice. “You’re a private militia. You have no authority.”

“I see my role in this world as exactly the person who steps in when the government is mistreating its people,” Steve said. “I promise. We won’t let anything happen to you or your son.”

You nodded and seemed to make yourself smaller. “I wish I could believe that.”

“You can trust me,” Steve said. When you didn’t say anything Steve caressed the back of your hand with his thumb. “Do you know what Geo’s powers are?”

“I think they call it technopathy,” you explained. “He has an affinity with machines. Sometimes he can even communicate with them. It’s come in handy actually. I don’t like using him like that but he can make ATMs give us money. Change car titles to our name in the system. Have our names changed. Erase record of us. In emergencies, it has helped us get away.”

“He would love meeting Tony,” Steve said. “Maybe the two of you should move to the tower for a while.”

You shook your head fervently, “No. No. Too high profile. I feel safe where I am. Clint and Nat keep it safe and it’s just some apartment block. No one looks twice at it.”

Steve nodded and drained the last of his wine. There was a lot to process and a lot of work to do. He’d need to find out who was after you first and foremost. He just wished there was a way he could convince you the safest place you could be was under his watch.


	3. Chapter 3

You were starting to feel antsy. You’d been living in your small apartment in Bedstuy for much longer than you had stayed anywhere since you’d gone on the run. You were growing actual roots and it was starting to make your skin itch.

Being in a building owned by an Avenger had lulled you into some sort of sense of security. Clint was low key enough not to draw too much attention to the building while also adding the protection because of the fact he was an Avenger. You’d let that make you think you were safe. You’d made friends. There were kids that Geo played with. You had semi-regular jobs so you could actually buy furniture and other things that couldn’t just be shoved into your bag when you had to run. You’d started to think of it as your home.

That alone had been enough to make you antsy. You’d find yourself relaxing and forgetting that there were people trying to take your son from you and then it would suddenly hit you and you’d start double-checking there was no one there watching you.

Then Captain America got involved.

You worried that him just being around would attract looks from the wrong people. The fact that Steve was actively searching for the people looking for you made you worry that it would draw their attention and they’d find you like that worried you too.

It put you on edge and you felt torn. In the past, as soon as you felt like this you’d pack up and run. You didn’t ignore your gut feelings like that. The couple of times you had, you’d ended up nearly getting caught. You had a home now though and you were reluctant to leave it.

The other problem was, the longer you waited to run, the more reasons you found to stay and two of those big burly reasons were currently at your apartment trying to balance talking to you and playing with Geo at the same time while you were in the middle of an anxiety cleaning session.

Over the last month, they’d been around a lot. After your first date with Steve, he’d called and asked you out a few more times in much more casual settings. He always spoke to you about your ‘situation’ as he liked to call it, but it wasn’t just that. He told you about his friends. He asked you about yours. You each spoke about your childhoods. They felt like a mix between genuine dates and being questioned as a witness to a crime.

Bucky had come by a few times on the pretense of coming to see Clint or Natasha and wanting to check to see if you were okay. He brought you and Geo lunch another time saying he was in the area and he thought he’d check in on you. And another time he brought a little Stark Pad as a gift for Geo saying Stark had asked him to drop it off. He always spent a little time talking with you and you wondered if Steve had actually asked him to check that you hadn’t run and that there was no one watching you.

Whatever the case, they both became comfortable with just visiting after not too long, and you quite liked when they did. They were kind and funny and they understood what you were going through in a way most people didn’t. Geo liked them too and with all the running you’d been doing, he didn’t warm up to people easily. Even Clint and Natasha had made friends with him through Lucky initially.

You really liked them. Really, really. You could see that becoming more than just the slight crush you were harboring for each man if you let it - and god did you want to let it. Yet that desire made you feel anything but good. You had a tight knot of anxiety in your chest and you were jumping at every shadow, yet anytime you considered actually running, it made you feel sick.

“… and then he just turned into 100 birds and flew off,” Bucky said.

You’d been staring out the window and you slowly looked back at him as the words sunk in. “Huh?”

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Bucky said. “I was asking if you wanted to order in.”

“Oh… uh… I probably should cook,” you said, looking back out the window.

“We can pay,” Bucky said, but your attention was back on the man who’d been standing in the entrance to the alley slightly down the street again.

Steve put down the Lego bricks he’d been adding to the structure he, Bucky, and Geo had been assembling and he got up. He came over to you and looked out the window, putting his hand on your hip to pull your attention back to him. It was quite an intimate gesture for Steve. Despite the fact you’d been sort of dating for a month now, neither of you had made any kind of move to make it at all physical. You hadn’t wanted to make a move because it was just one more push towards having a life here that you were unwilling to leave. Why Steve had kept his distance you weren’t sure. Part of you thought he was taking his lead off you, but there was also his confession about how he’d been carrying a torch for Bucky his whole life and maybe it was just that you still hadn’t cleared the Bucky level of minimum attraction he had admitted to. “What’s wrong?” He asked.

“I don’t know,” you said. “There’s been a van parked across the road all day. Not the same van, but always a van. And now that guy has just been standing in that alley for an hour.”

Bucky tensed and stood. “I’ll go check it out.”

Steve held out his hand for a second as he assessed the street. You don’t know what he was looking at but he gave a small nod. Bucky stalked out the door with his jaw set and Steve looked back at you.

“How about you go get some things together. We’ll have a sleepover at the tower,” he said. His voice was far calmer and upbeat than the implications that the suggestion held.

You nodded and as you hurried off, there was a squealing of wheels from outside, followed by a gunshot. Your heart started hammering and you spun back around and nearly slammed back into Steve. He was holding Geo who had his Stark Pad clutched in his chubby little hands. “Okay,” Steve said in that same cheery, calm voice. “We’re not going to pack. I assume you have a ‘go bag’?”

You didn’t even answer, you just went to your closet and pulled it out from under a pile of blankets. It was a duffle bag and contained spare clothes, all your ID both real and fake, and rolled up wads of cash.

As you went out, Steve put his arm around you and began to escort you outside. “Just nice and calm. We’re going to take Nat’s car.”

“You have the keys?” You asked.

“Don’t need them,” he answered, as you both entered the street.

It was empty now, and as you went around the side of the building you saw Clint sitting on the fire escape shirtless but with his bow out. “Bucky took after the van, Nat went for the guy,” he yelled down and dropped some keys as Steve passed under him.

Steve caught them easily and looked up at Clint. “Thanks,” he called up.

Natasha’s Chevrolet Stingray sat a little further up the ally and Steve pressed the button on the keys to unlock it.

“I thought you were going to break into it,” you said with a nervous laugh.

Steve chuckled as he opened the door for you. “I was going to.”

You looked around wildly. “I don’t have a seat for Geo.”

“It’s okay,” Steve said, putting Geo in your hands. “Just hold him on your lap. I’ll drive carefully. If a cop stops us, I’ll get them to escort us.”

You got into the car shaking and put the seatbelt on, holding Geo tightly. Steve started the car and started it. “Hey little guy,” Steve said, softly. “You think you can get the traffic lights to be green for us all the way?”

“Umm…” Geo hummed and the tablet in his hand began to flicker. You recognized what was happening. Your son was talking to the network that ran the traffic lights through the network connected to the tablet. The light on the street ahead turned green and as you passed through it, the one at the next intersection turned green too. All the way over the bridge and into the underground garage at the Avengers towers the lights changed to green before the car reached them. You got out of the car with Geo and Steve went and grabbed your bag. Geo looked up, his eyes wide and his mouth opened.

“Mommy,” he whispered. “She’s everywhere.”

“Who is?” You asked as you tried to see what he was seeing in this dark, underground parking lot.

Geo raised his hands in the air as you carried him to the elevator with Steve. “Is Fwiday,” he said.

“No, sweety. It’s Wednesday,” you answered as the elevator door opened and you and Steve got in.

Steve chuckled. “FRIDAY can you introduce yourself?”

“Of course, Captain Rogers,” a disembodied female voice replied. She had an Irish accent which surprised you almost as much as a random woman’s voice coming out of nowhere. “Good evening, ma’am. I’m FRIDAY, I’m the Artificial Intelligence system that runs both the tower and Mister Stark’s Suits.”

“Fwiday!” Geo said excitedly, bouncing in your arms.

“Hello Geo,” FRIDAY replied. “I’m so happy you are visiting.”

“You is nice, Fwiday,” Geo said and the elevator doors opened.

“Thank you, Geo. You are very nice too,” the AI replied.

“Oh man,” you said, putting Geo down. “I don’t think he’s ever been near an AI before.”

“I told you he’d like it here,” Steve said, putting his hand on your shoulder. “Get comfortable. We’ll have a sleepover. You’re going to be safe here.”

He put your bag down and went into the kitchen. “How about we order a bunch of comfort food to be delivered. Pizza, mac and cheese, fried chicken. I’ll make some popcorn.”

You looked around nervously. “You sure we’ll be safe?”

“I promise,” Steve said smiling. “Now, the two dark blue couches fold out. But you just need to press a button on the side of them. And there are blankets in a hidden cupboard on the wall.”

You looked around and Geo pointed at the door as the couches opened up on their own, you assumed because he’d asked them to.

You set up and made a food order together. You calmed down for a little while as you all sat eating popcorn together. Steve put his arm around you and you settled in against him feeling the closest to actual boyfriend and girlfriend you had yet. When the security guy brought the food back you panicked again.

“Where do you think Bucky is?” You asked.

“It’s fine,” Steve reassured you. “If there was a problem, FRIDAY would have told me.”

“You’re sure?” You asked.

“Yes, ma’am. Sergeant Barnes is currently on the way back to the Tower,” FRIDAY said.

You relaxed again. “Okay. Okay.”

Bucky arrived about twenty minutes later looking a little beaten up. “Man, they took me on a chase.”

“Did you catch them?” You asked as he hopped up on the fold-out bed beside you and grabbed himself a slice of pizza.

“Yeah, don’t worry. They’re being held,” Bucky said.

“By who?” You asked.

“Don’t worry,” Bucky said, rubbing your back. “The good guys.”

You let out a breath and leaned your head against his shoulder. “Thank you,” you whispered.

“Of course,” he said rubbing your back. “You’re with us now.”

It took a little while for you to relax again. Geo babbled happily to FRIDAY while Bucky ate and you all half-watched a movie. By the time he was asleep on the fold-out couch, you felt relaxed. Actually relaxed too. Not in the way you usually were where you kept checking out the window or squirreling away money in your go-bag for when you weren’t anymore. Not safe for now. Actually safe.

You drifted off to sleep between them quickly once that feeling of contentment hit you. Plates and containers of food were scattered around you. You woke again as Bucky started climbing off the couch. It was dark in the room except for the lights from things like the microwave and the power button on the tv. Steve was sleeping beside you, his arm draped over your waist.

“Where are you going?” You whispered.

He looked back at you and ran his hand down your arm. “To bed.”

“Stay…” You said, looking up at him.

“You sure?” He asked. “It’s pretty squashy on that bed.”

You nodded and grabbed his hand. “Please?”

He climbed back into the bed and wrapped his arms around you, pulling himself up close. It was warm and quiet between the two super soldiers and it wasn’t long before you were asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Square filled:** _@star-spangled-bingo_ \- "Am I renting a bed and breakfast for a bikergang?“

“Well, well, well, what have you boys been up to?”

Tony’s voice pulled Bucky out of his sleep. He’d been wrapped around you and Steve’s hand was on his hip, and for a moment he thought someone had drugged him. Tony kept clattering around the common room followed by a rather exasperated looking Pepper. Bucky sat up and tried to go over exactly what had happened last night because, for all intents and purposes, he should absolutely not have slept as well as he had.

He’d gone out to ask the guy who had been standing in the alley what he was doing. The dude had shot at him and the van parked across the road had taken off. Natasha had come vaulting down the fire escape chasing after the dude with the gun and Bucky had chased down the van. It had taken him a while but he’d eventually caught up with him. When the guy wouldn’t talk, Bucky had called Fury for a collection and then dragged himself back to the tower where he was surprised to find you, Steve, and Geo were all camped out in the common room rather than in Steve’s apartment. He’d really assumed that you’d just shack up with Steve. The two of you had been dating after all.

He’d been aching when he got back and he’d sat down on the fold-out couch beside you because Geo had stuff spread out all over the other one. Besides he hadn’t intended to stay. He was just going to eat, hang out for a bit, and go to bed. When you’d fallen asleep Steve had admitted he’d set up in the common room because the two of you hadn’t even kissed yet and he wanted to make sure you felt safe. Bucky had remembered feeling an odd sense of relief hearing that and he wasn’t sure why. Then he’d finished eating and gone to leave and you’d asked him to stay.

He had gone to sleep expecting to sleep badly. He’d always slept badly. He’d been doing a lot of work with therapists and while it had been helping, the nightmares still came. Not every night, but too often. He’d assumed that if he ever shared a bed with anyone that the fear that he hurt them in his sleep would keep him awake. Instead, he’d slept right through. There had been nothing that would explain that except that he’d been relaxed.

“You could have at least cleaned up after your orgy,” Tony said, picking up the empty food containers strewn over the coffee table. “Am I renting a bed and breakfast for a biker gang?”

Steve sat up and sighed in that very special way he reserved for Tony, and you sat up beside him pulling the covers up and looking extremely embarrassed.

“Tony, can we dial back the o-r-g-y talk in front of the small child?” Pepper asked.

Tony spun around and saw Geo sitting up, yawning and rubbing his eyes. “Small person,” Tony said, sounding shocked. “When did you get here?”

“Tony, that’s Geo. We told you about him,” Steve said, stretching and getting up.

Tony looked from Steve, to you, to Geo. “Oh wow, “ he said crouching down. “Hey, buddy. You like to talk to computers, huh?”

Bucky hadn’t seen a baseline human move as quickly as you did at that moment. You scrambled up and dashed over to the couch, picking Geo up. Geo struggled in your arms but then seemed to just flop all his weight in your arms, obviously used to your protective panic.

Steve moved to your side and put his hand in the middle of your back. “Why don’t you go up to my floor. FRIDAY will let you in. You can have a shower or a bath. Make some breakfast. I’ll come up and check on you in a little while.”

“I don’t… what if…?” You said, quietly.

“No one can get in or out without us knowing about it. This building is the most secure place you can find,” he assured you. “FRIDAY is everywhere. She knows who is here and she controls the locks.”

You looked at him uncertainly and gave a small nod. You grabbed your go bag as you passed Tony and went straight to the elevator. When the elevator closed Tony went right back to tidying up. “She’s a mite jumpy, isn’t she?” He said.

“There were people watching her last night. When Bucky went to approach them, they shot at him and took off,” Steve explained as he began folding up the blankets and putting them away. “I don’t blame her for being wary. Even of us.”

“Did you catch them?” Tony asked.

“Yeah, Fury has them. Figured he was the best legal way to hold them,” Bucky said. “He said he’d question them.”

“The boy can really communicate with electronics?” Tony asked.

“Why don’t you ask FRIDAY?” Bucky asked. 

“Oh good idea, tin man,” Tony said. “FRIDAY, dear. Has the boy been speaking with you?”

“Yes, Tony,” the AI replied. “It comes through almost like binary. But that doesn’t quite describe it properly.”

“Damn,” Tony said and dumped the containers into the trash chute. “I would love to run some tests.”

“There is no way she’s gonna let you or anyone else run tests on that boy,” Steve said. “Besides what he can do is irrelevant. The only thing we need to know is who is after them and how we can keep them safe.”

“Right you are,” Tony said and went into the kitchen, getting out the french press and turning on the kettle. “So what was going on with you three? You all -” he made an obscene hand gesture with his index fingers and thumb.

Tony rolled his eyes. “You got me, Tony,” he deadpanned. “That’s exactly what we were doing.”

Pepper started laughing and got out the coffee cups. “They aren’t you, Tony,” she said.

The elevator doors opened again and Hill came striding out with a handful of folders and a clipboard. She was already dressed and completely together and Bucky vaguely wondered if she ever actually slept. “There you are,” she said, beelining straight to Steve. “We have bad news.”

“They’re not talking?” Steve asked.

“You could say that,” Hill answered, gesturing for Steve to take a seat. They both sat down on the now-folded up couch and she put the files on the table in front of him. “They’re dead.”

“What the hell?” Bucky said, moving to sit next to Steve and looking over his shoulder.

“Cyanide capsules. We left them alone to think and confer with each other about what they’d said and when we got back they were both dead,” Hill explained.

“No. I checked them. I always check them for that,” Bucky said.

“So do we,” Hill said and Tony came over and took a seat on the recliner. Pepper kissed his cheek. “I’ll go to the office. This seems like official Avengers stuff.” 

“Shall we have lunch?” Tony asked.

“Sure,” Pepper said. “I’ll call you when I’m taking it.”

She headed to the elevator and everyone turned back to the files on the table. “You sure no one on your end gave them to them?” Steve asked.

“Positive. I reviewed the tapes. It was in their teeth. I’m assuming it’s something new,” she explained and opened up one of the files, with a series of photos showing the men knocking their teeth free.

“They didn’t give you anything first?” Steve asked.

“Not a lot,” Hill said. “Both stuck with stories that they weren’t doing anything. Eventually, the guy in the van changed it to being hired by someone, but wouldn’t give a name. And given the suicide, I’m going to assume that was a lie.”

“If it was cyanide that means HYDRA right?” Bucky said. “HYDRA do that.”

“It’s definitely a HYDRA thing, but they aren’t the only ones,” Hill agreed.

“But, Steve, didn’t you say she said there were things like super strength and telepathy. That sounds like what they were doing with Wanda and her brother,” Bucky argued. “And well, the whole super-soldier program.”

“We’re not ruling out HYDRA. This is newer than Wanda and Pietro,” Hill explained and opened another folder. “I didn’t have a lot to go off. You won’t let me question her and I didn’t have dates, the name of the college, nor do I even know what her name actually is. But I’ve been looking into things based on how old the kid is. I did find an experiment that ran at Stanford. It was based on some work by a couple of professors from the University of Manchester named Albert and Lousie Thompson back in the seventies and sponsored by a company called IGH. That stands for Industrial Garments and Handling which is obviously a red flag already. The files were all erased and no one is talking but from what I gather it was a program for ‘unlocking the potential people already hold’ for short periods. Which sounds like a combat enhancement to me. If you could let me question her…”

Steve shook his head. “She’ll shut down. Let me talk to her. I’ll at least get you dates and names.”

Hill nodded. “I’ll check the file Natasha released from HYDRA and what we have on the experiments on the twins. That all goes back further than this but perhaps there are links.”

“Thank you, Hill,” Steve said. “Tell Fury thanks for the assist too. We’ll have to be more thorough about checking for suicide pills from now on.”

Hill stood. “I’ll get on it. Let me know what you find out.”

She strode back out of the room and Tony leaned back in his chair and cracked his knuckles. “Legolas sure does have a way of dropping everyone into the middle of shit doesn’t he?”

Bucky couldn’t help but laugh while Steve shook his head. “She needs help. So we’ll help her.”

“From what I saw that’s not the only thing she needs,” Tony teased. “Gonna give her that too? That’s some outstanding service you offer, Cap.”

“Get your head out of the gutter would you?” Steve said getting up. “I’m gonna go up and talk to her. I’ll let you know if we need any help.”

“Sure,” Tony said. “You know where I am. I might see if FRIDAY can figure out what it is about the kid that lets him talk to her like that. Don’t get your hopes up though, it’s not her standard functions.”

Steve started heading to the elevator when he stopped and looked back at Bucky. “You coming?”

“Oh,” Bucky said, slightly startled. He had thought that Steve was going to talk to her in private. The fact Steve had just assumed Bucky would be part of the gentle questioning was both a shock and slightly flattering. “You sure?”

“Yes,” Steve said, matter-of-factly. “Who else is gonna make pancakes?”


	5. Chapter 5

It had been a long time since Steve had had to share his space. Even in the army, he’d ended up with his own quarters after he’d agreed to go on the USO tour. Now there were bras hanging on a rack in the bathroom to dry. Toys all over his floor and his fridge was full of things like go-gurt and applesauce that came in satchels. It was a lot to get used to, but he was enjoying it. He liked the noise and the chaos at Geo’s bedtime. He liked coming home and you being there whether it be just be watching some tv, or cooking dinner, or giving Geo a bath. He even liked it when you weren’t there and there were just signs you would be back again. The dishes in the sink or Geo’s Lego spread out on the coffee table.

After the incident at your apartment, you had agreed to stay with Steve at the tower. The fact the people after you were willing to commit suicide over anyone finding out where they were from meant this was bigger than just you or Geo. You had agreed - rather reluctantly at first - to stay with him until they could get to the bottom of it.

His apartment was only two bedrooms and given that you had only been dating for a little while, you’d been sharing a bedroom with Geo. He hadn’t wanted to pressure you into becoming more intimate than you were ready for and if he was honest with himself, he wasn’t sure he was ready for it either. Partly because of the high stress of the situation, he worried that any feelings the two of you shared might be too heightened, and partially because he always needed to be sure. He’d taken two years to get to a first kiss with Peggy. He was slow to act.

He did like you though and he liked having you around. He was aware that he overthought everything, but he was also becoming very aware of something else. He liked being needed. Right now you needed him and he didn’t want that to go away.

Unfortunately, trying to find the people who had done this to you was proving harder than it seemed. IGH was a shell company covering the tracks of a medical research group looking into replicating the super serum. They seemed to have gone defunct years ago after some success though the levels of cover-ups of whoever was the result of that success were the kind only an incredible amount of money could buy. Steve had put Tony on trying to unravel the threads and he’d eventually come back with the name of a private investigator and an address of her office.

As he rode the elevator up in the Hell’s Kitchen apartment building a thick dread filled him over the fact that the serum had worked so well on him and people were going to keep trying to replicate that again and again until someone worked it out or he died.

The elevator stopped and he and Bucky stepped out. “You think she might run?”

Steve shook his head. “From what I gather she’s one of the good ones. Abrasive, but she’s been linked to the taking out of several criminals.”

Bucky nodded and the two walked to the end of the hall. The door for Alias Investigations had seen better days. It had several chunks out of it and in the space glass would normally be sitting, a large piece of cardboard was taped into place. Steve rapped his knuckles on one of the undamaged parts of the door and it rattled in place.

There was a shuffling on the other side of the door and it creaked open just a little. The pale face of Jessica Jones poked around the corner, her jet black hair framing her face.

“Oh hell no,” she said and tried to shove the door closed.

Steve caught it and for a moment he thought she was still going to manage to shut the door on him. They were definitely on the right track. “Ms. Jones, we just have some questions.”

“No. Fuck, no. I’m not getting involved in any of your goody-two-shoes, Avengers bullshit,” she said, giving up on holding him back and striding back into her office. “I have enough of my own shit to deal with than to worry about fucking Aliens and out of control robots.”

“Ms. Jones,” Steve said, as she went and grabbed a bottle of Jack Daniels from her desk, unscrewed the cap, and started drinking straight from it. “We just want to ask some questions. It’s about an organization known as Industrial Garments and Handling. We believe you might know about them.”

She lowered the bottle and narrowed her eyes and collapsed down into the chair behind the desk. “You’re too late. There is no IGH. I shut them down. Everyone involved with it is dead.”

“You know them then?” Steve asked, taking a seat. Bucky stayed standing by the door like he was expecting Jones to try to run.

“I know them. They did this to me,” she said and clenched her fist on the bottle. It shattered, spraying glass and alcohol everywhere. “And I made them pay for it.”

“Did you sign up for experimentation?” Steve asked, and quickly held up his hands. “No judgment. I signed up to be a lab rat too.”

Jones shook her head. “No. I was in a car accident and they took me. What’s this about?”

“They were involved in human experimentation several years back. We believe they were trying to make some kind of combat enhancers,” Steve said.

Jones scoffed and spun around on her chair, and began rifling through a filing cabinet. “You have so many resources at your hands and that’s where you are? You’re a little behind. They were, the army had them and were using them on soldiers. There’s one still alive. His name is in here -” she spun back around and tossed a stack of files on the desk. “As for IGH there’s a nurse and a janitor still alive and they’re in prison. The rest is gone. You’re chasing a dead lead. You can relax and take a break.”

“I’m afraid we can’t. We have one of their test subjects in custody. They’ve been trying to take her in,” Steve said. “I’ve found with places like this, you think you get the root of the evil and you’ve just been pruning back some leaves.”

She rolled her eyes and laughed derisively. “Nice analogy, Cap,” she said. “I’m sorry about your friend, but they tried to destroy their own work, including me. I know they’re gone because no one has tried to kill me in months now. Whoever is trying to get to them, it’s not IGH.”

Steve sighed. She seemed so certain, but someone had been trying to take you and Geo, and this company was involved somehow. “Everything you have is in here?” Steve asked.

“Yeah, take it,” Jones said. “Now get out. I have work to do.”

Steve stood and nodded. “Thank you for your help. I’ll call you if I have any questions.”

“Yeah, you do that,” Jones said. “I have friends who’ll get a kick out of the voice message I have from Captain America.”

As they went back into the hall, Bucky laughed softly. “She was charming.”

Steve bit back his own laughter. “Well, I guess you don’t have to be pleasant to do good.”

“You can say that again,” Bucky said, jabbing the button to call the elevator. “You think this is a dead-end?”

Steve flicked through the folders as he got onto the elevator. “They obviously didn’t go away completely. Whatever remnants existed might have been absorbed by something else, and going off how hard it was for me to keep that door open, I’d say they might have gotten closer than most at replicating what was done to us. I’m guessing that something has taken what they can and is after Geo to fill in the blanks. This is a start.”

The elevator stopped and Steve and Bucky began to make the walk back to the tower. It was only seven blocks and even with the fact they were going to get stopped several times on the way, it was still easier to walk it than try and find a parking spot in Hell’s Kitchen.

“I should grab something for dinner on the way home,” Steve mused as he shoved the folders into his jacket and zipped it up. But he and Bucky pulled on their ball caps and put on sunglasses. Bucky shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket to hide the telltale glint of metal.

“What? You sick of home-cooked meals already?” Bucky teased.

Steve chuckled and nudged Bucky in the familiar way that always came so naturally to him, his shoulder bumping into his friend’s and pushing him slightly off course. “Hardly,” he replied. “I just worry about her thinking she owes me. I’m really up in my head about it. It’s hard dating someone who’s living with you and who is that reliant on you. The line between normal boyfriend and girlfriend things and a person in a vulnerable position thinking that they need to comply with a request so they feel safe is blurred.”

Bucky’s lips twitched and he shook his head. “Steve, I love you, pal,” he said. “But do you overthink or what?”

Steve shrugged and let out a breath. “I’ve never been good with this kind of thing, Buck. You know that.”

“Yeah, I guess I do,” Bucky agreed. “And it’s sweet how you worry about things like that. It’s the reason why it took us so long to hug when you finally tracked me down though, you know?”

“Yeah,” Steve said. “I know. What do you think I should do? I want to move forward with her. I’d even be happy if she started sleeping in my bed, but all we’ve done is some quick pecks on the lips when I’ve gotten home and cuddling on the couch. And I don’t even know if I can count the cuddling on the couch because she cuddles with you too. You’ve always been better with women than I have. What would you do?”

There was a heavy silence in the air while Bucky seemed to think it over. When he finally spoke his voice sounded slightly tight and Steve wondered if he’d pushed him too far into thinking about how he used to be. “Take her out again. On an actual date. I’ll watch Geo if she’s okay with it, or I’m sure Clint and Nat will come around if she still doesn’t trust me. Talk about it with her. Then kiss her for fuck’s suck. Properly.”

Steve nodded, still not quite sure how to actually talk about it. A date would be good though, the domestic thing made it hard to do anything romantic anyway. “You wanna have dinner with us?”

Bucky nodded. “Sure. What are we having?”

“Burgers seem safe don’t you think?” Steve said. “Geo would probably eat a cheeseburger.”

There was another small nod from Bucky and Steve pulled out his phone, texting you for any special requests and to make sure you didn’t start cooking. He hoped he could move things forward with you a little, but it wouldn’t be the first time he ended up having unrequited feelings for someone. Either way, it was nice he could have you both in his life sharing dinner.


	6. Chapter 6

“You’re sure you’ll be okay looking after him, Bucky?” You asked, as you rifled through your wardrobe. Bucky sat on the bed playing some kind of game on the tablet with Geo where they had to tap fish as they swam past. “Tony took him to the lab today and it made him all hyper.”

Bucky chuckled. “I bet it did. But I’ll be fine. If Clint can handle looking after him, I can.”

“Clint had Natasha with him,” you argued.

“True,” Bucky said. “And I’ll have FRIDAY.”

“I’m happy to help take care of my favorite kid,” the AI added.

“Dey can weed me a stowie,” Geo said matter-of-factly.

You nodded and went right back to what you were doing. You weren’t sure what to wear. You only had one nice dress and Steve has already seen it. There was also the question as to why he was taking you out at all. Things had seemed to cool off between you. Not completely, he’d cuddle with you, and there were pecks hello or goodbye, but it wasn’t going forward how a relationship normally did. He’d invited you out and said the two of you needed to talk and your head went racing. Did he want to end it? Did he have information about who was after you? Did he want to take it to the next level? You were panicking and you didn’t know why he was torturing you like this.

“You going on an archaeological dig in there?” Bucky asked as you began to rifle back through the clothes you had already decided weren’t good enough.

“I don’t have anything to wear,” you complained. You turned and looked at Bucky. “He said we needed to talk. Is he going to break up with me?”

“Wow,” Bucky deadpanned. “You been hanging out with me too much? That sounded like where my head would go.”

“Well, it’s not like we’ve been moving forward at all,” you huffed. “Is it about the people after us?”

“No, we’d just tell you that. We keep hitting dead ends,” Bucky said.

“I really like him, Bucky,” you implored. It felt a little weird dumping all this on Bucky. He was Steve’s best friend and knowing how Steve felt about him felt a little unfair. Not that you could blame Steve for his feelings. Bucky was sweet and sexy and had a little edge of danger about him. It was a strange situation because as it stood, it felt like you were romantically in the exact same place with Bucky as you were with Steve, only Steve had been the one you’d been set up with. It was like you could lean in either direction and have an actual romantic relationship, except neither was willing to go any further than they were now. “But now it’s just like… we’re stuck in this in-between zone. I want more but it’s kind of like he’s just humoring me now.”

Bucky looked up at you with a pained expression on his face and you knew you’d overstepped a line. “Forget it. I’m sorry, Buck,” you said turning and going back to trying to find something to wear.

Bucky got up off the bed and moved over to you. He seemed to hesitate for a minute before putting his hand on your hip. It was an intimate gesture and it sent a slight shiver through you. “Get out of your head,” he said and pulled out a pair of jeans from your wardrobe. “Steve’s a good guy. He’s not the kind of guy who leads people on. You’re just in an unusual situation. Tell him how you feel.” He grabbed a black tank top next. “Now, those two, your wrap, and some jewelry. And tomorrow I’ll tell Wanda she should take you shopping.”

“I don’t -” you protested.

“No. Wanda is our heaviest hitter,” Bucky said cutting you off. “And she loves shopping for clothes and she’s really good at thrift shopping - so if you won’t take money, she’ll get you a bargain.”

You nodded. You couldn’t pretend that wasn’t a nice thought. The last time you’d been shopping with anyone was before Geo was born.

“Alright,” Bucky said. “I’ll leave you to get dressed. You okay?”

You nodded again and turned into his arms, wrapping your arms around his waist and pressing your cheek against his shoulder. He tensed for a moment before his arms closed around you and he held you, taking a deep breath. “Thank you,” you whispered.

“It’s alright. I get it. It’s hard when you don’t know who you can trust,” he said quietly. “I know me saying it won’t help much, but you can trust Steve. Maybe you won’t work out, but he’s not gonna hurt you like that.”

You nodded and slowly pulled back. “Thank you,” you repeated. “You’re really sweet you know?”

Bucky chuckled and picked up Geo. “That is not something I’ve ever been described as.”

You got dressed in what Bucky suggested, accessorizing as best you could. You were just starting on your hair and makeup when there was a soft knock on the door. “Come in!” You called, assuming it was Steve wanting you to hurry up.

Instead, a young, auburn-haired woman entered. “Hello,” she said. She had a strong accent and a soft smile. It took a second for it to click that this was Wanda. The public always spoke about her like some kind of monster and the pictures you’d seen she was always using her powers, her eyes glowing red and a scowl on her face. This young, soft-looking woman didn’t mesh at all with how she was portrayed in the media. “I’m Wanda. Bucky called asking if you could borrow some jewelry for your date.”

“Oh,” you said, embarrassment washing over you. “I mean… I don’t…”

She smiled again and sat down on the bed opening up her bag. “Don’t be embarrassed. He was trying to help. I was homeless for a while. I know what it’s like just having to keep what you can carry with you. And I have a lot of jewelry.”

She took out a selection of things and offered them to you. “Are you sure you don’t mind?” You asked.

“Not at all,” she replied. “I like to share what I have.”

You picked out some brightly colored enamel bracelets, a couple of rings, and a layered beaded necklace. She helped you with your hair and makeup and when you got up to put your shawl on she stopped you. “Here, use this,” she said and took out a shawl from her bag that had been hand embroidered with red roses on it.

“It’s beautiful,” you said, wrapping it around your shoulders.

“Thank you,” she said. “I made it myself.”

“Wow, you’re so talented,” you said, admiring yourself in the mirror. Bucky had been right, the black jeans and tank top had been the perfect base to build on. You really liked the end result. It was casual but playful and that little bit sexy.

“You look beautiful,” Wanda said. “Have fun.”

“I’ll try,” you said and headed out. Buck was cooking and he smiled as he looked you over. Steve jumped to his feet when you came out. “Wow, you look great,” he said.

“Wow?” You teased. “Rude.”

He laughed. “You know what I mean. You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” you agreed.

“You two be good,” Bucky called as Steve offered you his arm and the two of you headed out.

“Your friends are really nice, Steve,” you said, as you rode the elevator down with him.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “We’re kind of more family now. I’m lucky to have them.”

You smiled and nodded. “What did you want to talk about? Is it the people after us?”

He shook his head. “No. I promise as soon as we know something, we’ll tell you.”

You frowned and let out a breath. “What is it then?”

“We’re not going very far. It’s a restaurant just over the road. Why don’t we wait until we’re sitting,” Steve suggested.

It felt like your heart only just started beating faster. You wished he’d just get it over with and tear that band-aid off. He led you to a modern looking restaurant across the road. You were seated immediately at a table upstairs that looked over the rest of the restaurant. The chairs were comfortable and large and you immediately picked up your menu and hid behind it as a way to deal with the anxiety that felt like was eating away at you.

Steve put his hand on yours and you poked your head out over the top of the menu. “I’m sorry if I made it feel like there’s something bad that was going to happen tonight. I promise it isn’t. I just wanted to be on a date and talk. Like most people who are starting a relationship.”

“Oh,” you said. “I thought… I don’t know… you weren’t …”

He chuckled. “Not at all. I like you a lot. I have been worried that you living with me would make you think you owed me. If I pushed for more you’d give it out of obligation and I don’t want that. I want us to both be on the same page about what we want.”

You let out a breath. “I don’t feel pressured,” you said. “I like you a lot too.”

The waiter came over and you panicked a little. Steve ordered a bottle of wine and as he ordered a started and entree you quickly chose what you wanted.

“I’m not used to talking, I usually just act,” Steve said when the waiter left. “But with this kind of thing, I am so slow. I just let the feeling grow and grow and grow and then I might kiss them. Took two years to kiss the only people I’ve really had a romantic relationship with.”

You shook your head. “That won’t do.” You patted the chair to your right. “Come here.”

He chuckled and changed seats. “I might be a little out of practice.”

“Don’t worry,” you said. “So am I.”

He leaned in and you bridged the distance, capturing his lips. He hummed softly as you kissed and his hand went to your jaw, cradling your face. His lips were soft and you flicked your tongue over them as he caressed them over yours. He pulled back and you blinked slowly. “That took way too long to happen,” you said.

“I’m a little slow to move,” he said. “Sorry.”

You shook your head and leaned your forehead against his. “It was worth the wait.”

He pulled back and caressed your cheek with his thumb. “I want you to feel comfortable with me at my house. That it’s your place too and for us to be able to go forward with… well us,” he explained.

“I do. I promise,” you said. “You’ve been nothing but a gentleman, Steve.”

He smiled. “Then I’ll get out of my head,” he said and kissed you again. You smiled into his lips and ran your hands up his thighs.

This one was much quicker as the waiter arrived with the wine. You waited as Steve tried it and okayed the bottle. When they poured you a glass you took a long sip. “I want you to know - and this is with no expectation of anything happening - but if you’d like to share my bed…”

As Steve made the offer his face turned redder and redder and you started laughing. “Thank you, Steve.” 

“I only mean, if you want to let Geo have his own room sometimes, you always go to bed so early,” Steve babbled. “We don’t have to …”

“No, I know,” you assured him. “Thank you. That would be nice.” He smiled bashfully and took a sip from his wine. For a guy that spent so much time-fighting evil, Steve Rogers was incredibly cute. For the first time since the death of your husband, you were excited about a relationship.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **@star-spangled-bingo Square filled:** \- Poly Fic

Bucky had a problem.

There had been a strange level of domesticity between you, he, and Steve since you’d moved in. It reminded him of when he and Steve had lived together before the war. That was problematic in of itself because Bucky couldn’t remember a time when he had been more completely and hopelessly in love with Steve than when he would wake up and make pancakes while Steve sat on the fire escape smoking one of his asthma cigarettes and drinking hot water in the hopes it would settle his stomach. Bucky would pretend they were married and he was about to go out and earn a paycheck while Steve took care of the house, or that they were planning their wedding and living in sin. It didn’t even matter that two guys couldn’t get married back then, it was always what he imagined. He would stare at Steve’s lips whenever he wasn’t looking, always so pink and plump, even when his anemia was at its worst and he’d imagine what it was like to taste them. What they’d feel like against his own and he’d imagine pulled that bottom lip between his teeth as he pulled back.

Now he was making pancakes for Steve, and you and a little kid and thinking how much this was like a family, and pretending like you were his wife and that was his kid. Or maybe Steve was the one he was married to because you could do that these days. It didn’t just have to be a fantasy. Except for the fact he wasn’t with either of you, you were with each other. You’d even started sleeping in Steve’s bed. And god, if you both didn’t deserve to be happy, which was one thing Bucky definitely didn’t have in common with either of you.

So that was a problem. But it wasn’t _the_ problem.

The big problem Bucky had was you both kept coming to him for advice.

Every time one of you came to him to ask some kind of relationship advice it felt like a little piece of him died. It chipped away at the hope he had that maybe one day he might get this with someone he cared about because if he cared this much about you and Steve and Geo then who else was there for him? It also made him hate himself a little because it was Steve, and Steve deserved to be happy. The guy had practically given up on a life outside of Captain America and Bucky was honestly proud of his best friend now he was taking a chance of having romance and family too. So every time one of you came to him and asked for advice he would grit his teeth and give it because it was the right thing to do. But he was jealous and he hated himself for that green-eyed monster.

Lately, the questions had been about sex and he knew from the things you each asked it hadn’t happened yet but it would soon and all Bucky could think that when it did that was it. He wasn’t getting that for himself. Which was maybe what he deserved.

He came out of the bedroom after putting Geo down. You and Steve had gone out again and he’d agreed to babysit. Sam was sitting on the couch eating a slice of leftover pizza.

“You’re looking pretty grumpy for a guy who just read the little prince,” Sam said, as Bucky flopped onto the couch.

“Why are you here?” Bucky asked, ignoring the dig at him.

“Forgot Steve was going out and we just got some intel back,” Sam answered, getting up and going to the fridge. “You want a beer?”

“Yeah, alright,” Bucky answered, watching Sam move around Steve’s apartment with a comfortable ease. “What was the intel?”

Sam came back over, handing Bucky the beer as he took a seat again. “There’s word of a designer drug being sold in Madripoor. Gives people temporary superpowers.”

“Shit, really?” Bucky said. “Guess we’re going to Madripoor.”

“Guess so,” Sam agreed. “It’s not exactly known for lawful activity though, so we might be just going into another dead end. I think the army lead is better. They were definitely manufacturing that shit for the army. What are you so surly for anyway? The kid give you a hard time?”

“No,” Bucky said. The way Sam didn’t pause between topics made Bucky feel like he’d been railroaded. “He’s a good kid. I kinda like babysitting.”

“Then what is it?” Sam asked.

“Nothing,” Bucky grumbled. “It’s nothin’.”

“Oh don’t give me that, Sergeant Grumpy,” Sam teased. “Something’s bothering you. Spit it out.”

Bucky sank back into the couch and rubbed his eyes with the balls of his hands. He knew he should just tell him. Sam had a tendency to bug people until they coughed up what was bothering them. Besides, maybe just saying the words out loud might make him realize how ridiculous they actually were. “Just jealous, I guess.”

“I am awesome,” Sam teased.

“Not you, you dumbass,” Bucky snarked. “This -” he waved his hands around. “Them.”

“You mean the domestic thing?” Sam asked. “Or you just want to date someone, ‘cause I could set you…”

“No. Not anyone… them,” Bucky said, the frustration he was feeling coming out through his voice.

“Her?” Sam asked.

“You’re not listening, Sam,” Bucky snapped, pulling his hair. “Both of them. This. All of it.”

Sam didn’t say anything for a while, he just stared at Bucky like he’d grown an extra head. “Wow,” he said eventually. “Do they know?”

“Fuck, I hope not,” Bucky said.

“How long?” Sam asked.

Bucky scratched his head slowly, letting his fingers drag over his scalp and tug out the knots in his hair. “Steve since we were kids. Probably started getting feelings for him when he was about fifteen, I guess.”

“And he really doesn’t know?” Sam asked.

“Either he doesn’t know or he does and he’s been pretending not to, to save me embarrassment,” Bucky said. “And fuck, Sam, if it’s the second I might as well just end it.”

“Don’t joke about shit like that, Buck,” Sam scolded. “That’s serious.”

Bucky huffed and took a long drink of his beer. “It wouldn’t be so bad, they both deserve some fucking happiness, but they keep asking me for relationship advice. You know how fucking hard it is to tell them what to do to make each other happy when all I want to do is have that myself?”

Sam nodded and took a drink of his beer. “Think you might need to talk to them, man.”

“What?” Bucky yelped. “And have them keep giving me pity looks? No thanks.”

Sam shrugged. “Maybe one of them feels the same way about you?”

“That’s worse!” Bucky groaned, letting his head fall back against the back of the recliner. “I don’t want them to break up and then be mad at me for being the cause of it. Besides, it’s fucking ridiculous. I’m a fucking monster, no one is looking at me like that.”

“Oh cut the shit, Buck,” Sam scolded. “You’re as worthy of happiness as any of us here. Maybe more given what you’ve been through. You just gotta get your head in the space where you’re ready to accept it.”

“You sound like my fuckin’ therapist,” Bucky grumbled.

“Good,” Sam said. “That means you’re listening to them.” He sat forward in the chair and looked directly at Bucky. “Tell them. Then at least they know to go talk to Nat about relationship advice. Why they’d be asking you anyway, is beyond me.”

Bucky knew he was right. Almost all the advice he’d given to both you and Steve was based around communication. Talk to each other. Tell each other how you feel. It was only reasonable to take the same advice himself. He just didn’t want to make things awkward between the three of you.

“Buck,” Sam said, and Bucky’s eyes flicked up, meeting Sam’s. “You never know. Things are changing. People are more open to different things. Maybe telling them will work out better than you think.”

Bucky looked at Sam not even sure what that meant exactly. Sam got up and patted Bucky on the shoulder. “I’m gonna head to bed. Talk to them. And don’t forget to tell Steve about Madripoor.”

“Yeah. Alright,” Bucky said. “Thanks, Sam.”

Bucky sat up with the TV on but not watching it after Sam left. He didn’t know what Sam had meant by things changing and how it might work out better, but his mind kept flicking back to Natasha telling him to let go of the idea of monogamy being the only way that people could get their happily ever after. That some people had none and some had many. Maybe… maybe Bucky could get lucky and have both of you and the family. But maybe he had to be okay with getting nothing too. It wasn’t fair to hinge his happiness on you or Steve or anyone else really. He had to heal too.

But first, he needed to talk to you and Steve about how he was feeling because he definitely wasn’t ever going to be happy if he resented the two of you for coming to him for help all the time.

He was tidying up and turning on the dishwasher when the door opened. Both your lips were puffy from kissing and you’d obviously had a few drinks. Now was a terrible time to bring up anything. It was late, and if you were tipsy you couldn’t be making relationship decisions.

“Hey, Buck,” Steve said, warmly. “How was your night?”

“Did Geo behave?” You added, coming over to him and kissing his cheek.

Bucky smiled and nodded. “Yeah, of course. We had pizza and played some games on his tablet and then I read to him and he fell right to sleep.”

“Thanks for watching him,” Steve said. “We appreciate it.”

“Sam stopped by, got a new lead,” Bucky said as he stalled for time. It was easy to tell that you and Steve wanted him to leave so you could both head to bed.

“I’ll check it out in the morning,” Steve said. “Thanks again, Bucky.”

Bucky nodded and let out a breath. “Right,” Bucky said.

Steve looked at Bucky and furrowed his brow. “What’s wrong?”

Bucky shoved his hands in his pockets. Late at night after you’d just gotten back from a date was probably not the best time to do this, but he felt like it was now or he’d chicken out and it would be never. He’d end up being the best man at the wedding. He took another deep breath and shoved his hands in his pockets. “We need to talk.”


	8. Chapter 8

“We need to talk.”

Bucky’s words hang in the air, heavy and foreboding. A list of possible reasons for Bucky’s tension ran through his head. Something had happened to Geo. Or Bucky had decided he wasn’t up to babysitting anymore. Or the intel he’d gotten was some terrible bombshell like your husband never died but instead, he’d been made into some kind of super soldier and now he was trying to have you killed. It wasn’t like Steve to have quite this level of paranoia, but it also wasn’t like Bucky to want to talk.

“Can we sit?” Bucky asked.

“Yeah, of course,” Steve said. “Sit.”

Bucky sat down in the recliner, but the way he perched made it look like he was ready to run at any moment. Steve sat down on the couch and you sat next to him. Steve put his arm around you, almost protectively, like he was worried that whatever Bucky was about to say would send you into flight mode. Steve waited patiently as Bucky seemed to steel himself, running his hand through his hair and taking a few deep breaths.

“I need to… I gotta…” Bucky said and shook his head. “You both need to know that I - I don’t want to mess up what you have. I’m really happy for you both. You deserve to be happy.”

Steve furrowed his brow, now completely confused as to what Bucky wanted to talk about. Bucky let out another breath and shook his head.

“I need you both to not ask me for relationship advice anymore,” Bucky said. Steve went to say something but Bucky cut him off. “I love you, pal. And that’s the ‘why’ of it. I … I have feelings… for you… both.”

Your jaw actually dropped open and Steve felt like his heart stopped beating and then tried to escape his chest out his throat. “I’m sorry… what?”

“I just… when you both come to me, it hurts and I don’t…” he shook his head. “I know neither of you feels that way about me …”

“That’s not true,” you said, interrupting Bucky.

Bucky looked between you and Steve, blinking in shock. “What?”

Steve was in shock too. His brain had just locked up and he wasn’t sure what to do. He’d never imagined that Bucky had felt the same way about him as he felt about Bucky. He couldn’t even imagine how long Bucky might have been feeling that way. Was it new? This was really the first time Bucky had seen Steve dating, did this newly healing man see a relationship and just confuse wanting to have that, with wanting to have them? Did it go back earlier? Did the post Winter Soldier version of Bucky confuse friendship for romance? Or did the reset in time and the relearning of who he was and his place in the world mean that he had fallen for Steve recently? Did it go back to before? Did he start getting feelings for Steve once he’d seen him on the serum? God forbid it happened before that and he had been pining for Steve just as long as Steve and been pining for him.

“Bucky,” you said gently, leaning forward and touching his hand. “I know you just said both of us. And I promise, what I’m about to do isn’t dismissing that, but you and Steve really, really need to talk right now in private, so I’m just going to go to bed.” You turned to Steve and rubbed his leg. He could see your eyes glistening like you were trying very hard not to cry. He cradled your jaw and wanted to hug you or kiss you or do anything to tell you that the bombshell that had just been dropped wasn’t going to change anything. But that wasn’t true. It was going to change everything and both of you knew it. He hated the idea that he was now in this position where someone could get horrifically hurt and that he was most likely going to be the cause of that. He did love you though and he didn’t know what to do. “It’s okay,” you said softly. “It’s okay. We all might need time to think but whatever happens … you gotta go with your heart. Not your head.”

He nodded and leaned in and kissed you. You ran your hand back through his hair. The contrast between the softness of your lips and the way your nails scratched gently over his scalp made his skin prickle. You pulled back, and he chased your lips for a moment, reluctant to let the moment end. You stood, smiling sadly. “Goodnight,” you said and ran your fingers through Bucky’s hair as you passed him on your way into Geo’s room.

Bucky turned back to Steve when you left and swallowed thickly. “Steve?”

His voice came out soft and gravelly and as scared as he’d heard it in a long time. Steve took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. He feared the words he was about to say but he also yearned for them. “Buck,” he said. “I’ve been in love with you since we were kids.”

Bucky seemed to freeze in place. Steve wondered if he’d gotten the same brain freeze that he had suffered from a moment ago. “Really?”

Steve nodded. “Yeah, Buck. Really.”

Bucky moved over to the couch, taking the spot you had just been occupying. He leaned in a little and god, how Steve wanted to bridge the difference, but he couldn’t. Not yet. Not when so much still hung in the air. He put his hand on Bucky’s chest and caressed his collarbone with his thumb. “I can’t…”

Bucky pulled back and seemed to shrink down. “Right. Right. Of course.”

Steve took Bucky’s hands and held them to his heart. “Buck,” he whispered. “I just need time. This is… a lot. I can’t just switch feelings on and off like a light. I love you, but I love her too.”

Bucky shook his head. “I get it. I didn’t expect…”

Steve laughed and leaned forward, nosing at Bucky’s cheek. The stubble from his beard that had started coming through, and it scratched the tip of Steve’s nose. “You’re telling me.” Bucky laughed quietly and leaned into Steve’s touch. “How long?”

Bucky sighed and his hands tightened in Steve’s. “Since we were kids. You were 16.”

Steve laughed and tried to imagine if things might have been different if either of them had actually admitted how they felt back then. It was hard to say because so much happened. Bucky might have still ended up falling from that train, and it still would have rent Steve’s heart in two. But they could have had some time before the world had fallen apart. They wouldn’t be in this mess right now. “Well, we’re a couple of fucking idiots aren’t we?”

Bucky huffed and nodded his head. “Yeah. We are.”

“Can I have time to figure myself out?” Steve asked.

Bucky nodded without raising his eyes. “It’s been 70 years in the making. What’s another week or so?”

“Thank you,” Steve said. Bucky gave Steve’s hands and stood.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, punk,” Bucky said.

“Yeah, see you tomorrow,” Steve agreed as Bucky headed for the door. “Buck?”

Bucky turned back to look at him with an eyebrow raised. “Yeah?”

“I love you, Buck,” Steve said.

Bucky chuckled. “Yeah, I love you too, Steve.”

As Bucky left the room, Steve got up. He had imagined Bucky telling him that he loved him so many different ways with so many different outcomes. There was no version of that happening that Steve imagined feeling as much pain as he did right now.

* * *

Steve woke the following morning with less clarity and more anxiety than he’d been feeling when he’d gone to bed alone the night before. The two of you were planning to finally add something physical last night and instead, he’d gone to bed alone for the first time in over a month. He loved you. He did. But he loved Bucky too and now he’d have to choose.

Rather than actually do the mature thing and confront his feelings and maybe talk about how he felt with you. He hurried out to the office, looked at the intel, formed a team that didn’t include Bucky, and took off to Madripoor.

“You really think going out into Madripoor like a bull in a China shop is the best idea?” Natasha asked. He was sitting in the back of the jet with her and Wanda while Clint and Sam were in the cockpit. “You know they’re basically a hive of criminals because of their no-extradition thing.”

Steve sighed. He didn’t want to admit he’d just rushed into a mission to avoid talking about feelings, but that was exactly what it was. Punching bad guys was something he could do without thinking at all. “I just want to get a lead on where this combat enhancer is coming from.”

“So, how about this,” Natasha suggested. “We send Clint in with Wanda to check out his old contacts, and the rest of us stay back in the jet unless we’re needed and you can tell me why we just took off to Madripoor with no preparation or even a plan.”

Steve conceded. If he’d really thought about it at all, he probably would have just sent Clint in with Natasha alone. Maybe with a couple of the unknown agents to go undercover and follow the leads Clint dug up. They put the jet down on the far side of the island under cloak and Clint and Wanda headed out in street clothes to find some leads.

“So, spill it,” Natasha said, stretching out on one of the medical gurneys and peeling open a protein bar. “Why are we here besides tracking down the combat enhancers?”

“Did Bucky talk to you?” Sam asked.

Sam whipped his head around to look at his friend. Of course, Bucky had needed to speak to Sam first, but to actually admit what he did, Steve was more than a little surprised. “You know?”

“Yeah,” Sam admitted. “I thought it would be good for him so he wasn’t feeling so shit all the time. Didn’t expect you to run off on him. That's… Pretty shitty, Steve.”

“Oooh… What is it? What happened?” Natasha said sitting up.

“Last night, after we got back from our date, Bucky told us that he had feelings for us,” Steve explained.

“Bozhe moi,” Natasha cursed. “So you don’t feel the same way. He’s your best friend, you don’t just cut him out. I wouldn’t have expected such an asshole move from you, Rogers.”

“It’s not that,” Steve said, putting his hands up defensively. “The problem is I do have feelings for him. I love him. But I’m seeing someone and I love her too. I don’t know what to do.”

“And he said he had feelings for you both?” Natasha asked, tilting her head to the side as she assessed him.

Steve nodded. “Yeah… it’s a mess. And I guess… I run into battle rather than dealing with emotional stuff.”

“Hey, look at you,” Sam teased. “Spouting back shit you learned in therapy.”

“I don’t see what the problem is. He likes both of you. You like both of them. Is she not into him?” Natasha asked.

“I have no idea. They seem close,” Steve said. “What are you suggesting?”

Natasha groaned and rolled her eyes. “Haven’t we already had this conversation? You’ve seen that monogamy isn’t the only way to be happy with me and Clint. Find the thing that makes the three of you happy.”

Steve furrowed his brow. Growing up while he wasn’t so ignorant to not realize when friends he had were gay or that there were people who might be married they also had someone else on the side, he’d had it drilled into him, it was man and wife. He’d been excited when he’d woken up and found out that gay marriage had been legal. Still, he’d always just pictured that ‘two people and picket fence’ life. Even with Natasha and Clint seeing each other and anyone else they thought might be interested, they still chose each other first. “Can I do that? That… I can’t actually do that, right?”

Natasha rolled her eyes again, while Sam shrugged. “How about you take a little something for yourself for a change, Cap?”


	9. Chapter 9

When Steve left on a mission in the morning without coming to talk to you, the choice he had made seemed obvious to you. He’d been in love with Bucky since he was a teenager. He used Bucky as a baseline to judge every single person he was interested in. Yes, the two of you had been growing something, and you were most definitely falling in love with him. That wasn’t enough. He had chosen Bucky. It was obvious when you’d left them alone to talk. Steve being gone in the morning was just confirmation of what had been obvious.

That didn’t make it hurt any less. You had been falling in love with Steve. The two of you had started talking about future plans. What would happen after they got to the bottom of everything. What you both really wanted with your lives.

Maybe it was meant to be? At least that was what you were telling yourself as you moved your things back out of Steve’s room. You’d been having feelings for Bucky too, and really if you were supposed to be falling in love with one guy, maybe it wasn’t totally real if you were also crushing on his best friend too. You had to put it all aside. This was just a false start at your first try at dating again after the death of your husband. It was bound to happen.

You didn’t have time to cry. If you broke down in front of Geo it would upset him and he needed you to be strong because your strength was the only stability he had. You liked living with Steve. You liked how you’d made a little family unit start to happen, and you definitely didn’t want to let it go. There was always the possibility of trying to keep it. You could stay in Steve’s spare room with Geo. He’d offered it to you even before you were technically a couple. He was a good man, it could work at least for a little while. It would hurt seeing them move on together while you were just hanging onto scraps of affection. And worse, eventually, you would have to leave and the longer you waited, the stronger the bonds Geo got, and the worse it would hurt him when he lost them.

You needed to move on now. You’d wait until Steve got home, have the talk, and work out how you could move out.

The front door opened and closed, and you had a moment of panic. There was no way Steve could be back already. Your mind immediately went to someone coming to take Geo and you rushed out into the living room, to see Bucky and Geo rushing to him.

“Hey, bud,” Bucky said, picking Geo up.

“Hey, Buck,” you said. “Steve’s not here. He left first thing.”

“Yeah, I know,” Bucky said. “Don’t get me wrong, I love the guy, but he has been pulling the ‘run headlong into danger rather than be emotionally weak’ shit since the day we met. It’s gettin’ old.”

You snorted and shook your head. “Can I ask… how did the talk with him go last night?”

Bucky carried Geo into the kitchen. He took a Yoo-Hoo out and gave it to Geo. “You want a beer?” He asked.

You sighed and collapsed onto the couch. “You got anything harder?”

Bucky laughed and grabbed you both a beer and came and sat on the couch beside you, putting Geo on the ground, where he sat happily drinking his chocolate milk. You took the beer and drained half of it in one go.

“Hey relax,” Bucky said, putting his arm around you. “You asked me about it.”

“I know. And the longer you don’t answer the worse my head gets, which is stupid because you guys have known each other since you were children and you deserve a happy ending,” you explained. “But it still hurts.”

Bucky nodded and rubbed your arm. “We talked about how long we both felt like that. How dumb we were. Then I went to kiss him and he said he was in love with you and he needed time.”

You blinked up at him, your insides frozen. You had so expected him to tell you how they had admitted to each other how they’d been in love this whole time and to have been relieved they finally both knew. You’d expected that they’d have kissed and he’d tell Bucky that he’d tell you it was over. You hadn’t expected this at all. “Oh.”

“Yeah,” he said. “So he wasn’t just running away from dumping you. I don’t even know what he wants.”

“I’m sorry, Bucky,” you said, wrapping your arms around his neck. “You deserve better.”

He pressed his cheek against yours as his arms closed around you and took a deep breath. “Yeah. So do you. You deserve a happy ending too, you know? You’ve been through enough.”

You pulled back just a little. Just enough to look up into his stormy blue eyes. He returned your gaze and for a moment you forgot everything except how hurt you felt and how good Bucky was at alleviating that. Your eyes flicked to his lips, watching as they parted ever so slightly. He leaned in just a little and as you imagined what it would be like actually kissing him, everything came crashing home all at once. You pulled back and shook your head, placing your hand on his chest. “Sorry.”

Bucky shook his head too and ran his hand through his hair. “No. Right. I’m sorry. That was…”

“Yeah,” you agreed as you both moved to opposite ends of the couch. “This is all such a mess. Everything. I am starting to wish you’d both never met me.”

Bucky nodded and went to stand and you realized how hurtful what you just said must have sounded. You grabbed his metal hand and tugged it, coaxing him back into the seat. “Sorry. I didn’t mean that how it sounded,” you said. “I am glad I met you both. But I’ve fucked up your lives. And whoever it is hunting me found us. If I hadn’t met you, we’d still be on the run, but at least I’d have that routine. You guys wouldn’t have been dragged into my shit. I wouldn’t be fucking up whatever you have with each other.”

“Don’t,” Bucky said softly. “It’s not your fault and if it wasn’t for you, neither of us would have ever found out about each other. We’ll figure this out.”

You sighed and sunk back into the couch. It was nice to hear but you still couldn’t shake that feeling that it had you never met Bucky and Steve things wouldn’t be such a complete disaster right now. Geo put his now empty bottle on the ground and climbed up on the couch between the two of you.

“Bug-key,” he said, patting Bucky’s metal arm. “You wanna pway?”

“Okay, kiddo,” Bucky said. “You get the tablet.”

Geo climbed back down and toddled away to find the tablet Tony had given him.

“I do like you, Bucky,” you said.

Bucky looked over at you with his brow furrowed. “Why?”

You reached over and took his hand. “I don’t know what they did to you to make you doubt yourself the way you do,” you said. “But all I have seen is a guy who is sweet and gentle and with a killer sense of humor and who is a fantastic cook.”

“You just want me to make dinner,” Bucky said, picking up Geo when he returned. “I’m on to you.”

You laughed and Bucky and Geo started playing with a game on the tablet. You got up and went to the kitchen, Bucky’s little mention of dinner making you realize someone should get started on it.

“What is with two people saying they like me and then flinching when I try to kiss them?” Bucky called out to you. “That’s not great for the ego.”

“I gib you a kiss,” Geo said, standing up and kissing the ex-assassin on the cheek.

You and Bucky started laughing and Bucky cuddled the little boy. “Thank you, buddy. That makes me feel very special.”

“It’s a pity we can’t just all be together,” Bucky called out to you. “Would save some heartbreak.”

“Yeah, right,” you chuckled, as you put a pot of water on to boil. As you were cutting vegetables you started to wonder why you couldn’t all just be together. Natasha and Clint were a couple but they saw other people. They were one of the happiest couples you knew. Why couldn’t you do that too? If the three of all loved each other, then why couldn’t you just all be together. Maybe it might be a little strange to begin with, and maybe they had a connection that you didn’t, but you had your own thing with each of them too, and going from friends to lovers was hard. So regardless of what happened now, there would be hurdles to cross, you might as well try to make the most people happy while you were all crossing them.

You put down your knife and went back over to the couch, perching on the side of the chair. Bucky looked up from the game and tilted his head. “You get sick of cooking already?”

You shook your head. “Why can’t we?”

Bucky blinked at you, not quite being able to keep up with where your head was right now. “Why can’t we, what?”

“Why can’t we all be together?”

Bucky stared at you and Geo began to tug on his hand trying to get Bucky to pay attention to him again. “Bug-key…” hey whined.

“Hang on, bud,” Bucky said, pressing his chin on the top of Geo’s head and looking at you. “I … don’t … know…” he said. “Can we?”

“I mean… we couldn’t get married, but… yes? If we all agreed,” you replied, putting your hand on his. “We could.”

“We should… we need to talk to Steve,” Bucky said, slowly.

“Yeah, we should,” you agreed.

“We could actually do this,” Bucky said looking at you. “And I kinda want to kiss you right now.”

You smiled and pressed your forehead against his. “Gotta talk to Steve.”

He grinned and pulled back. You went to say something but realized you didn’t really know what. So instead you ruffled Geo’s hair and let Bucky go back to playing with him, returning to the kitchen. You couldn’t remember the last time you felt this nervous and excited.


	10. Chapter 10

It wasn’t until the following day that Steve and the other’s finally returned from their mission. Bucky couldn’t remember ever feeling so excited before.

He was apprehensive and scared, but those emotions were the ones that he often felt the most to the point that they’d become dulled. Like a drug addict who needed more and more heroin to feel high, it took a big bad before he truly felt fear. Excitement though? Excitement was rare and it gave him a high that kept him running until he got word that the Quin was coming into land.

He had no idea what Steve would do. There were options that could be good or bad and Steve would be well in his right to pick any of them in the pursuit of his own happiness. But that unknown was almost adding to the excitement. As was the potential that this could actually lead to something good for him. That he might actually get to have some love and intimacy, even if he didn’t quite think he deserved it yet. Just the thought of Steve’s lips on his, or your hands raking through his hair made him shiver and his cock twitch. He thought if it actually happened he might just explode.

He went up to the landing pad in time to catch Steve and the other’s disembarking. He approached Steve with Hill, and he immediately went into debriefing mode. “We found a supply of the drug there,” Steve said, handing a little baggy over to Hill without breaking his pace. “Have it analyzed. The guy who sold it to Clint said it can give you powers but how they express varies. He also said you needed to take them in order. Red pill to get the powers, blue to turn them off. Apparently, if you don’t take the blue you can go into cardiac arrest and your lungs stop working.”

“And people are taking these as what? Recreation? Fight club?” Hill asked as the group got on the elevator.

“From what I gleaned off people it’s a mixture. Having powers gives people a high. I can attest to that from when I was given mine when they first kick in it’s like all your synapsis start firing at once,” Wanda said. “But there are underground groups where people take them and then fight each other. There’s even an enhanced prostitution racket happening.”

The elevator stopped and opened up onto the armory. Steve, Clint, Sam, and Natasha all started putting their weapons and armor back into its place. Steve began to strip off parts of his suit and handing them back in his locker. “Thank you, Wanda,” he said to the young woman who was standing back trying not to watch as everyone stripped off in front of her. “Go get some rest and food. We’ll debrief this afternoon.”

“Thank you, Steve,” she said and headed back to the elevator.

“Do we know the source?” Hill asked as Sam, Natasha, and Clint headed into the showers.

“Take a look at the pills,” Steve said.

Hill picked up the baggy and turned the pills around in the bag. Bucky looked over her shoulder and saw the small image of the skull with tentacles coming out of it. “So it is HYDRA?” He said.

“Well, we can’t say for sure,” Steve said, gesturing back to the elevator. “Wanda didn’t pick anything up from the sellers indicating they were HYDRA. So it could just be someone thinking that packaging it like that will make it more exciting to buyers,” he explained as he, Bucky, and Hill got onto the elevator. “But it’s a potential lead. The problem is from what Wanda and Clint came back with was either a mass group conspiracy that the government of Madripoor is supplying the drugs to the citizens or more concerning, that is what’s actually happening.”

“So we need to send in some undercover operatives?” Hill asked.

“Absolutely,” Steve said. “Honestly it was my mistake to not have started with that. So if you could select some agents to do a deep cover operation, and get that to the lab, Hill. I just need to shower and get something to eat and I’ll meet in my office in an hour.”

“You’ve got it, Cap,” Hill said as the elevator stopped.

Bucky followed Steve out and down to the hall. “I know you want an answer, Buck,” Steve said. “I want to talk to both of you.”

Bucky rarely had any trouble hiding his emotions, but right now he was buzzing. “We wanted to talk to you too.”

Steve glanced at Bucky through the side of his eye and unlocked his door. You were inside at the table eating a sandwich while Geo seemed to be wearing most of a can of Spaghettios. You looked over when they stepped inside and Geo bounced in his seat. “Steeb!” He cheered and scrambled off running over and holding his hands up. You got up and seemed to move forward and then backed up, eventually settling on going into the kitchen.

“Hey, Geo,” Steve said, hesitating a little before picking the little boy up. “You’re very messy.”

“Sorry,” you said. “He likes to try and put the bits of spaghetti on his fingers. Can I get you anything? You must be hungry.”

“It’s alright,” Steve said. “Sit. I can get myself something.”

You hesitated again before going and taking your seat. “How did it go? Did you find anything?”

“Yes and no,” Steve said, putting Geo back in his chair and kissing leaning down to kiss your cheek. “We’ve got a trail. We’re going to need to put some undercover operatives on it.”

You nodded and your eyes flicked to Bucky. Bucky gave a nod and as Steve went into the kitchen you let out a breath. “Steve,” you said, a slight tremble to your voice. “I know you ran off yesterday because you didn’t want to confront either of us. That you had a choice to make and it was hurting you to make it.”

“About that,” Steve said as he pulled out some ingredients for a sandwich. “I know that was a really horrible thing to do. I’m sorry. I just needed time to think and I should have spoken to you both first.” He looked over at Bucky. “You want a sandwich?”

“Thanks,” Bucky said. His heart was hammering and he was glad you were taking the lead because he had no idea how to bring up. It was hard enough admitting he was in love with Steve in the first place.

“We were talking…” you said. “When you were away…”

“Yeah?” Steve asked. “I know you both must be angry with me, and you’re in your right. But if you can just hear me out…”

“Steve,” Bucky said. “Can you let us go first?”

Steve seemed to blanch, and Bucky could just picture the kinds of things that must be going through his head. Top of them was probably that you’d both decided you didn’t want him anymore. Bucky wanted to let Steve speak, just so he wouldn’t panic but if he did and he made a choice it would be too late. That would be it. He would have made his call about which person he liked more and the other would always feel like they were playing catch up.

“Right,” Steve said, standing frozen in place. “Sure.”

“How would you feel about… dating both of us?” You said, your face scrunching up as you spoke. “You know… polyamory?”

Steve started at the two of you with his jaw dropped. Geo started opening and closing his hands as he held them over his head and you got up without thinking and started to use some wipes to clean him up. Bucky felt as frozen as Steve was. He should have known better. Steve was a traditional guy. This was never going to work for him. Why Bucky even thought for one second he might…

Slowly Steve started laughing. It was quiet at first and it just got louder and louder. Bucky blinked at him in shock. “What’s so funny?” Bucky said.

“That was what I was going to say,” Steve said.

“You what?” Bucky asked.

Steve wiped a tear from his eye and went back to making sandwiches. “I swear to god, Buck,” Steve said. “Natasha bailed me up on the mission and made me tell her what was bothering me and she said that there was no reason why I had to be monogamous if there were two people who loved me if those two people loved each other. And you do right? I’ve seen it.”

“Yeah, Steve,” Bucky agreed. “We do.”

“So,” you said, standing up with Geo on your hip. “We’re going to actually do this?”

Steve nodded. “I guess we have … boundaries we need to discuss but … yeah. If you both want that, and I want it… what’s stopping us.”

You took Geo over to the couch and turned the TV on for him, putting on some cartoons before returning to the kitchen. Steve pulled you close to him and hugged you tightly. “I don’t think there’s anything stopping us,” you said, hugging him back. “I have spent so long now living in fear and not letting myself be happy. I’m gonna take it.”

Steve sighed and closed his eyes, breathing you in as he held you. Bucky stood watching, knowing that he was now part of this, and if he could just will his legs to move, he could be part of it too. Steve would draw him in close and the three of you would be hugging. Instead, he just watched like an outsider.

You slowly pulled back and looked up into Steve’s eyes. He smiled down at you and caressed your cheek with his thumb. “Okay. I really need to eat and shower and we can talk a little now, but I have to get back and sign some paperwork, plus we still have to do the debrief. But how about we ask Tony and Pepper if they’d like to babysit and I take the two of you out tonight. You know he loves having Geo around.”

“I think that sounds really good,” you agreed. “But first, I think there might be a kiss that’s been 70 years in the making.”

Steve looked over to Bucky and held out his hand as you stepped back from him. “What do you say, Buck? Think it’s time we actually act for a change.”

Bucky approached Steve slowly, his heart hammering in his chest. When he was close enough, Steve took his right hand and pulled him close. Bucky leaned in a little. He hadn’t kissed anyone since before he fell from that train. The fact his first kiss was going to be Steve - his Steve - was terrifying and exciting all at once. It was going to change everything between them. Steve bridged the difference, and Bucky didn’t close his eyes until the last second, afraid that Steve would change his mind and he’d just be left hanging like an idiot.

Bucky closed his eyes and the soft press of Steve’s lips touched on his, Bucky hummed and relaxed into the change.


	11. Chapter 11

Steve was thankful for the paperwork and debrief he had to do before the date he had asked both you and Bucky on. He liked romance but he wasn’t good at it and this whole ‘dating two people at the same time’ thing was so far out of his wheelhouse it has its own wheelhouse. Work, however, he might hate but he was good at it. It gave him time to unpack things and calm down and so by the time he was headed back downstairs the anxiety he had about fucking this all up completely was at a manageable level.

When he went inside he was not at all prepared for what greeted him. He had expected to be taking you both out - that you’d be dressed and just waiting for him to be done with work. Instead, the apartment had been cleaned and the lights were dimmed. Candles had been placed around the room and added a woody aroma to the smell of cooking wafting from the kitchen where you and Bucky were cooking together. You’d both dressed up too. You were wearing a layered, burgundy, lace dress with dark beaded jewelry. While Bucky had black jeans paired with a black button-up that was open at the neck and the sleeves were rolled up. He’d also tied his hair back and shaved off his beard. The way he smiled as you passed him a jar of spices reminded Steve so much of the guy he’d been before the war. The carefree Bucky who was always there to have his back or drag him out on some double date.

“What’s going on?” Steve said as he closed the door behind him.

“When you went back up to work, we were talking about the date,” you said. “And we thought that going out might attract looks and then we wouldn’t be able to relax. And we really need to be relaxed if this is going to work.”

Steve smiled and stepped into the kitchen, he put his hand on your hip and kissed your cheek and took Bucky’s hand, pulling him a little closer. “This was such a good idea.”

“We’ll do the dates out later,” Bucky promised. “I know that stuff is important to you. But this is so new for us. We need to be comfortable with it before we share it with the world.”

Steve leaned over and kissed him. It still felt a little strange, but here in his home, Steve felt comfortable exploring that.

“Go sit down,” Bucky said, pulling back. “We’re just serving up.”

“I can’t do anything?” Steve asked.

“We actually want edible food,” Bucky teased. “So get out of here.”

Steve chuckled and went and sat down. He was followed closely by you and Bucky as you brought out bread, salad and a large bowl of pasta.

“Thank you,” Steve said as the three of you started filling your plates. “This looks really good.”

“Okay, pal,” Bucky said, patting his thigh. “I know this is weird. But it’s me, not a job interview.”

Steve chuckled and he felt a flush enter his cheeks as he ran his hand through the back of his hair. “Right. You’re right.”

“It’s crazy how we both felt this way for so long and neither of us said anything,” Bucky said. “How dumb are we?”

Steve laughed. “Pretty dumb,” he agreed. “But we already knew that. I guess … I guess back then I didn’t expect to get anything I wanted and I thought admitting how I actually felt would mean I lost you completely. It was better to keep you as a friend than lose you altogether.”

Bucky reached over and rubbed his hand over Steve’s thigh. “I totally get you. Even telling you the other day about how I felt I was sure you’d reject me because who could possibly want me after everything I’ve done?”

“Oh Buck,” you said and leaned over and kissed him gently.

Steve had all these expectations of what it would be like if he saw the two of you kiss. Everything from jealousy to it turning him on. What he hadn’t expected was how right it felt. There were things that made Steve worry. Bucky’s initial reaction each time he was kissed was to tense up, and it took him a moment to relax again. Steve was concerned about what underlying things were making that happen. But even with that, when Bucky relaxed as the two of you kissed, it felt right. He’d always shared everything with Bucky, to share this too, was how it was meant to be.

You pulled back and tucked a stray lock of Bucky’s hair behind his ear. “I know what you mean too,” you said, reaching over and rubbing Steve’s forearm. “I’ve been on the run for so long, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to just stand still. I thought it was just going to be me and Geo against the world forever. I still think that I won’t. That somethings going to happen and I’ll have to run. Even now, having Geo spending the night just upstairs with an actual superhero, I’m worried about something happening that will mean I have to run.”

“We’ve got you now,” Steve said. “I promise we’ll keep you safe.” You nodded, but he could see the doubt in your eyes. “I think we all need to start telling ourselves that maybe… just maybe, we deserve something good. Even if it’s not normal. It can be good and we deserve good things.”

You leaned over the table and kissed him, he smiled into your lips and hummed softly. When you pulled back Bucky was there to take your place, tensing as his lips came in contact with Steve’s but relaxing quickly.

Bucky pulled back and let out a breath. “So we’re actually doing this? Like for keeps? Not just messing around?”

“I can’t make any promises about how this will work or if this will work,” Steve answered. “But I’m not into it for something casual. I am serious about you both.”

“Yeah, me too,” you agreed. “I’m worried about Geo. I don’t want to mess him around, so … we need to be careful with him. He’s already so used to having you both around if he starts thinking of you… you know?”

“Like a dad?” Steve suggested.

You nodded and swallowed thickly, tears pricking your eyes. “His dad was such a good man. I loved him and he was so excited when I got pregnant. Geo never even got to meet him. I don’t want him to start thinking of you both like that and then for him to lose that too.”

Steve took your hand in both of his. “We’ll be careful,” he promised as he gazed into your eyes. “Won’t we, Buck?”

“Sure,” Bucky agreed, rubbing your back. “We don’t want to hurt either of you.”

You grabbed a napkin and wiped your eyes. “I’m sorry,” you said. “I never had a chance to grieve I guess. When I start thinking about him, it all comes out at once.”

Steve smiled softly, he knew exactly what you meant. He lost Bucky and was expected to go straight back into the war. Then he lost everything and was expected to fight aliens. He knew what it was like to have to compartmentalize your life like that. He knew how hard it was to keep it from overwhelming you if you even for one second allowed yourself to dwell on it. “You never have to apologize for that,” he said, gently. “Not ever.”

You nodded and he and Bucky quietly went back to eating, letting you process how you needed. Bucky held your hand under the table and Steve rubbed your leg. You gradually relaxed as the three of you finished your meals.

“Alright,” Steve said, getting up. “You both cooked. Seems only fair that I clean up.”

“Not gonna argue with that,” Bucky said. “As long as you actually do it.”

“You know what, Buck?” Steve teased as he collected up the dirty dishes, making Bucky laugh.

As Steve tidied the kitchen, you and Bucky moved to the couch. Steve watched as he stacked the dishwasher as Bucky put his arm around you and you leaned in and pecked his lips. He watched as the gentle peck became something deeper. How Bucky tensed a little and seemed to hover his hands like he didn’t know where he should put them. How when he finally pressed his palms to your back, he relaxed and the kiss turned into a heavy make-out session.

This time Steve was turned on by it. He switched on the dishwasher and wiped down the dishes and stepped out into the living room. “Maybe we should take this to the bedroom?” He suggested.

He was a little surprised by the words that came out of his mouth. He was always so slow to make a move. He always needed to feel ready. But it was different now. He had been dating you for a while and he had already gotten to the point he was sure with you. And Bucky… was Bucky. He’d been sure about Bucky for longer than he could remember.

You and Bucky stood without any hesitation and he followed the two of you to the bedroom. Bucky held his hand out to Steve and pulled him in close, and began to unbutton Steve’s shirt as you did the same to Bucky’s.

Gradually the three of you stripped each other. You kissed the whole time. Steve’s lips from yours to Bucky’s and back. He kissed necks, and collarbones and both you and Bucky did the same, so by the time all three of you were naked, Steve was achingly hard.

“Might need to go slow,” Bucky warned, as he climbed up into bed. “Been a while.”

“There’s no rush,” you assured him, climbing up in bed with him and straddling his lap Steve watched as you traced your fingers down Bucky’s chest. Bucky’s muscles twitched under your touch and he bunched his hand into your hair and pulled you down into a kiss.

Steve climbed up behind you, straddling Bucky’s legs and kissing your back as you ground down against Bucky’s cock. Steve began to rut slowly against your ass and you sat up and leaned back, kissing him deeply as you rolled your hips against Bucky.

Bucky leaned up and began to suck on your breasts, switching from one to the other as you and Steve kissed hungrily. Steve lined up his cock and slid it between your thighs so that with each roll of his hips it slid up and down against Bucky’s while being pressed between your legs. He groaned at the sensation and began to picture what it would be like for both his and Bucky’s cock to be wedged tight inside your cunt.

“Fuck…” Bucky groaned. “That feels so good.”

“Yeah, Buck?” Steve said in a soft growl. “You like that?”

Bucky groaned loudly and dropped back onto the bed, his hips bucking up under you. You broke the kiss with Steve and rolled onto your side. Bucky rolled to face you, continuing to rut between your legs, moaning softly as he left a sticky trail of precum between them.

Steve watched on, running his hands over both of you. He lay down behind you and leaned over, and captured Bucky’s lips as he began to rut between your thighs from behind. He slipped his hands down and began to finger your clit. You moaned loudly and Bucky groaned into Steve’s lips.

Steve wasn’t really sure what the plan was right now, he just knew it felt amazing to have his cock pressed between your legs and Bucky’s rubbing against it. Bucky’s cock was leaking on his, and it mixed with your arousal, coating Steve’s shaft in sticky fluids. He could tell Bucky was getting close. His moans were becoming choked and needy and his cock was throbbing against Steve’s shaft. 

“Shit,” Bucky gasped. “Not gonna last.”

“That’s okay,” you whispered. “Come.”

Bucky groaned loudly and his hips stuttered as he released, spilling between your legs and coating the insides of your thighs and over Steve’s shaft. “That’s it,” you praised. “Give it to us.”

Bucky groaned and buried his head in your neck. “Sorry,” he whispered.

“No, babe,” you said. “It’s all good.”

Bucky pulled back and you rolled onto your back. Steve maneuvered on top of you and you took hold of his shaft and guided him inside you. He groaned as the wet warmth of your cunt encompassed his cock. Bucky rolled over and kissed along Steve’s shoulder he reached between both you and Steve and began rubbing your clit while he massaged the base of Steve’s cock. Steve groaned and clenched his jaw as his cock jumped and his balls tightened. You were being affected just as much. Your cunt tightened and began to pulse around his shaft with each thrust of Steve’s hips. He looked down into your eyes and you cradled his jaw as you looked up at him.

“Oh fuck, fuck… fuck!” You cried out as your orgasm hit. You arched your back under him and you cunt squeezed and massaged his cock, milking it. With a grunt and a jerk of his hips, he released, coming inside you in waves.

Steve hummed and rolled off you, landing between you and Bucky and the two of you moved into him, curling into his side and resting your heads on his chest. Bucky leaned over and pecked your lips. “That wasn’t exactly how I expected it to go the first time.”

“You picture us just wrecking each other?” You asked, caressing his jaw.

He chuckled and nodded his head. “Yeah, maybe.”

“We’ll build up to that,” Steve chuckled. “This is very new for me. I’m sure it is for you both too.”

Bucky nodded and leaned in and kissed him. “I wanna do all kinds of things with you both.”

Steve smiled and rubbed his nose against Bucky’s as he ran his fingers down the back of your neck. He wanted that too and for the first time in his life, he felt like he might actually deserve it.


	12. Chapter 12

You had been dreaming when the press of Steve’s lips woke you. For a moment you were trapped in this weird in-between state, stuck between sleep and awake where you were simultaneously being chased by faceless beings that seemed to keep spawning more and more every time you got free of one, and snug and warm with a pleasant post-coital ache in your body.

“Honey,” Steve said gently.

You stretched and opened your eyes, looking up at the two large men looking down at you.

“We have to go into work,” Steve whispered. “Didn’t want you to wake up to the bed empty and worry.”

“Oh,” you said, sitting up. “Is it late?”

“Fuckin’ wish it was,” Bucky grumbled.

“No. We need to hit the gym and then there’s a meeting about going forward with the investigation on Madripoor. Plus a few other missions,” Steve explained. “You’ve still got a couple of hours before Pepper said she’d bring Geo down.”

“And there’s breakfast in the oven,” Bucky said, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “We’ll see you tonight.”

They headed up to work and you dozed for a little longer. Your life kept changing in major ways ever since you left home. It was like every three to five years the universe decided that things had gotten too predictable and you needed everything shaken up. Sometimes it was good, like starting college. Getting married. The look in your husband’s eyes when you told him you were pregnant. Geo’s birth. Lately, it had been a lot of shit and now that it seemed to have swung back into something good again, you had put on the countdown for when the other shoe dropped and wondered how fucking bad it would be considering how good you felt the potential for this could be.

Because it had the potential to be amazing. Steve and Bucky were actively trying to free you from the terror you’d been living for the past three and a half years. They were fun to be with. They were kind and beautiful and it felt good being with them. You felt safe with them and for the first time in years, you felt like you had room to breathe and open your heart again. Not that there weren’t things you were worried about. You had started to feel a little too comfortable when you’d been living in BedStuy. Looking back at all the people you’d trusted to babysit Geo you couldn’t help but worry. What if one of them had been -them-? What if you’d trusted the very people trying to get him to take care of him?

Of course, that hadn’t happened, but now all you could think was that now you were so close to being that real ‘happily ever after’ kind of happy, you’d trust Geo with a babysitter and they’d kidnap him. Or you’d enroll him in childcare and he’d be kidnapped by someone pretending to be his dad. You didn’t want to just be the stay at home mom, reliant on your new boyfriends to take care of everything, but you knew from experience how hard it was to find jobs that didn’t mind you having a kid with you and there were very few that you could do while in such a high-security building.

You sighed and got up. You’d figure something out, you always did, and lying in bed dwelling on it when your very new boyfriends were trying to be nice and give you some time to sleep in was not going to help.

After a long hot shower, you went into the kitchen to eat. The room smelled of freshly brewed coffee and you found a Monte Cristo sandwich warming in the oven. You poured yourself a coffee and sat down to eat your sandwich. There was a blissful ten minutes where it was just you, your food, and silence when there was a knock at the door.

You got up and answered the door, to find Pepper, as flawlessly put together as she always was holding Geo’s hand.

“Mommy!” He squealed and slammed into your legs.

You laughed and picked him up, cuddling him to you as you let Pepper in. “Hey buddy,” you said. “I missed you.”

“Missed you too, mommy,” he replied.

“Hey, Pepper,” you said as she put his backpack by the couch. “Thank you again for having him over. How did you go?”

“Really well,” she said. “There was a little stress at bedtime. He kept asking for you. FRIDAY was the one that calmed him down.”

“I’m so sorry,” you said. “That was his first sleepover. So I guess it was weird for him.”

“It was no problem, really,” Pepper assured you. “He was an angel otherwise. And I knew if he didn’t calm down we could call you. He and Tony had a lot of fun building robots and playing with computers. He’s all clucky now. Went to bed asking if we could think about having kids now.”

“Did you and Tony make robots?” You asked Geo.

“Yeah, mommy!” He said excitedly. “Dey’re so cool. I maded fwiends wif dem.”

“That’s so great, buddy,” you said, kissing his cheek. You put him down and he went back over to Pepper and took her hand.

“Come. Come. Come see my wegos,” he said, tugging on her hand.

“Just for a little bit, okay?” She conceded, letting the little boy pull her along.

“Can I get you a coffee?” You asked as Pepper took a seat on the couch and Geo began pulling out all his favorite lego creations.

“That would be great, thank you,” she accepted. “Just black.”

You went into the kitchen and poured the last of the coffee into one of Steve’s grey mugs. “So are you on board with the whole having kids thing?” You called out to Pepper.

“Oh, god,” Pepper called back. “I don’t know. It’s never even come up before and I was always career above everything. This might just be a passing phase so I’m not going to give it serious thought unless he hyper focuses on it.”

You brought out her cup and handed it to her, handle side first. “Thank you,” she said. “Enough about me, anyway. Tell me; how was last night?”

You smiled and sat down to the breakfast Bucky - your new boyfriend Bucky - had made you. “Good. A little emotional, but good. We had a nice time.”

“So you think it’s going to work? The three of you like that?” Pepper asked as she helped Geo build something.

You shrugged. “I know I like them. I know they’re good people. But if we’re going to get into talking about my belief that anything will work out for me, it’ll probably end up being a very dark conversation.”

Pepper frowned and looked over at you. “Well you are right,” she said. “They are good people. If you’d ever told me Steve would try out -” she waved her hands around her head “- I wouldn’t have believed it. But the fact he has… is… means he’s serious about it.”

You chuckled. “Yeah, he doesn’t go into things half-heartedly.”

Pepper laughed. “You can say that again,” she drained the last of her cup and stood up. “Alright, Geo, I have to go to work. Fortune 500s don’t run themselves.”

Geo stuck out his bottom lip. “Aww…” he whined.

“I know, little one,” she said. “I had fun too. You’ll have to come to have a sleepover again sometime.”

“Yeah,” he said, bouncing in his seat.

She chuckled and ruffled his hair as you stood up to walk her out. “Thank you again,” you said. “I really appreciate it.”

“Of course, any time,” she said. “It was really fun, and I did like seeing Tony go full dad. If you’d like to have another night off let us know.”

You smiled and opened the door for her. “Thank you.”

Pepper stepped out and paused, turning back to you. “I know you haven’t been getting out on your own since you moved in. If you want to borrow some security, let me know. I can send Happy down. You can trust him, he’s basically family.”

You smiled. “Thanks, Pepper. That would actually be amazing,” you said, though your heart felt heavy. This whole Avengers thing was getting too good and that sword hanging over your head was beginning to look extra sharp.

* * *

Happy had come down just after lunch and he’d escorted you and Geo out. He took the job seriously, which you appreciated. It made you feel safer. Not to mention he was even jumpier than you. So when you went into the library after spending some time playing in the park with Geo and you became acutely aware that someone was following you, Happy was quick to believe you.

“You see them right?” You said as you pushed Geo down the hall in his stroller toward the children’s section.

The guy who you had originally noticed hanging around the carousel had been trying not to be noticed as he kept his distance and followed you into the library. He was now browsing a rack of fliers for local exhibitions and tours of the city and he was doing his absolute best to not make it look like he was watching you. Happy guided you around the corner. “Alright. So… we won’t make any sudden moves. You go get books like you wanted. I’ll call the boss. I don’t want to try and chase him off and then have someone else come from another angle and grab you or the kid.”

You nodded. “Stay close.”

Happy put his hand on your back. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He pulled out his phone and started tapping out a message as you wheeled Geo over to the open area where they kept the picture books. He started wiggling in the chair and fumbling to get the straps that held him down off.

“Hang on, buddy,” you said, crouching down. “What’s the rule.”

“Stay cwose, where I can see you,” he said.

“Okay, good,” you said, kissing his forehead. He ran over to the rack of large picture books and pulled the biggest one he could find down before sitting down and opening it up. You stayed close to him and Happy stayed close to you, still tapping away on his phone. You could see the guy on the other side of the children’s section, but the library security was already eyeing him as he was alone in the children’s section.

“Alright,” Happy said, speaking quietly and slipping his phone back in his pocket. “We’re going to check some books out and go out the lion entrance. Tony will be waiting.”

You nodded. “Thank you, Happy.”

“It’s gonna be okay,” Happy said. “I’m a professional.”

“Alright, Geo,” you said. “Pick your books, buddy.”

Geo began to load books at random into the stroller making Happy laugh as the pile got bigger and bigger. “Okay, sweetie. I think you have enough,” you said.

You checked the books out and Happy led you back outside. “See the car stopped over there?” Happy asked. You nodded without breaking your stride. “That’s for us.”

You approached the car with Happy and Tony stepped out of the back of the car. The bright blue polygon that indicated that he was wearing the bleeding edge armor sat in the middle of his chest. “Mommy,” Geo said excitedly. “Fwiday’s here.”

“I know, baby,” you said as you approached Tony.

“Hello, dear,” Tony said, kissing your cheek. “Into the car.”

You nodded and started loading Geo into the back. “Where is he?”

Happy looked around, but the guy who was tailing you hadn’t exited the building yet. You got Geo safely into the back and went and put the stroller and books into the trunk. The guy came out the front door, spotted Tony, and quickly turned and ran back in.

“There!” Happy yelled, pointing to where the guy had just disappeared. “He saw you.”

“Right,” Tony said tapping the casing on his chest. “Get her home. I’ll see if I can find him.”

The armor bled out over his body and Happy hustled you into the back of the car. You buckled up as Happy jumped in the driver’s seat and Tony took off in the direction of the library.

“Don’t worry,” Happy said. “We’ll get you home, safe and sound.”

You nodded again, but as you held Geo close to you in the back of the town car, you doubted that you were ever really going to be safe again.


	13. Chapter 13

Bucky held back as Steve rushed over to you. It was rare that either he or Steve felt helpless, but that feeling was particularly strong right now. They’d promised to keep you and Geo safe and the first time you go out of the tower someone tailed you. Someone they didn’t catch. Tony has lost them in the library before a chase had even started. No one knew who they were working for or what they wanted with you or Geo. They were helpless.

Steve had said this incident might make you run again and Bucky wouldn’t blame you. If it was him he would too. It would also make sense. Bucky had started to feel happy and at home for the first time since he broke HYDRA’s brainwashing because of the relationship with you and Steve. Actually happy. Not just neutral or not afraid. Of course, it wasn’t going to last. He didn’t get to have that.

Steve cradled your jaw and looked you over. “You’re safe? Did they hurt you?”

“I’m fine. He was just following us and Happy acted quickly,” you said. “Did Tony catch them, do you know?”

Steve shook his head. “He said there was no sign of him when he followed the guy inside. He’s still there looking but it’s such a big building and he never got a good look at whoever it was in the first place.”

“They know I’m here,” you said, as Geo started to whine in the backseat of the car. Bucky went over to help Happy get him out of the seatbelt. “They’re never going to leave me alone. I know you don’t…”

“No,” Steve said. “I obviously don’t want you to go. And you’re safe here. We’re going to get to the bottom of this. I promise you. So don’t run… Please…”

The last word was delivered so differently from the others it made Bucky look around in shock. He had been in full Cap mode for most of it, telling you confidently what was going to happen. The ‘please’ however, was a heartfelt pleading for you to stay. It was laced with both fear and sadness and Bucky hadn’t heard that tone from Steve for a long time.

“Bug-key,” Geo whined, kicking his legs.

“Sorry, kiddo,” Bucky said, unbuckling Geo from the back of the car. “Let me help you out.”

He unbuckled Geo and got him out of the back of the car. “I god books. You wanna see?” Geo asked.

“Sure do,” Bucky said. “Where are they?”

Happy got the books out of the back of the car as Geo started babbling about Tony and FRIDAY and the robot suit. Bucky’s attention was still on you and Steve as he tried to convince you to stay.

You slowly nodded and moved into Steve’s arms and he closed them around you, holding you close to his chest. “Alright,” he said. “It’s alright. I’ve got you.”

“I’ll head up and give my report,” Happy said, handing the books to Bucky.

“Thanks, man,” Bucky said. “Thanks for keeping her safe.”

“Just doing my job,” Happy said and headed to the elevator.

“Alright,” Steve said. “Let’s get you upstairs.”

The four of you went up to Steve’s apartment and Bucky took a seat on the couch with Geo in his lap as the little boy went through the pictures of every book he had. You and Steve sat on the two recliners and you curled your legs up under you like you were trying to make yourself seem smaller.

“I think you might need to stay with her from now on, Buck,” Steve said, getting out a tablet. “Happy was great but if this is people with some performance-enhancing drugs are tailing her, she’s going to need one of us.”

Bucky wasn’t sure if that was the answer but he didn’t want to say. He wanted you to be safe above everything but if he was assigned as your bodyguard, it would mean spending time with you became his job and he didn’t ever want to think of you like that.

Thankfully you voiced his thoughts for him. “Steve, I don’t think Bucky’s job should be spending time with me,” you said. “Besides, I don’t want to live like that either. I should be able to just be able to go out.”

“I know,” Steve said, running his hands through his hair. “I know this isn’t ideal. None of this is ideal, but I don’t want to lose you and it won’t be permanent. We’re going to get to the bottom of this.”

You sighed, and sank back into the couch, rubbing your temples.

“How about we order some dinner and have a nice quiet night in?” Steve suggested, getting to his feet. “I’ll go run a bath for you and you can relax for a while and then we’ll eat, watch a movie, and put this all behind us.”

Bucky watched Steve go into the bathroom and looked back at you. “I wish I had the kind of faith he does,” you said.

Bucky let out a puff of breath. Not quite a laugh but almost. “He’s just good at faking it,” he said and shook his head. “We don’t want you to go.”

“I don’t want to go either,” you said. “I don’t … but they never stop and I’m a target here. What would you do?”

“Honestly?” He said and bounced Geo on his knee. “I would have gone already. I know what it’s like, you know? I got out of HYDRA and I ran. I was on the run for two years and Steve tracked me down. He can be pretty determined.”

“Tell me about it,” you scoffed.

Bucky chuckled. “Which means when he says he’s going to get to the bottom of it and keep you safe. He will.”

You pinched the bridge of your nose and slowly exhaled. “Right. You’re right. I’ll sit tight. It hasn’t been long and at least Geo has some kind of stability.”

“Yeah, that’s right, bud,” Bucky said. “You like it here don’t you?”

“Yep,” Geo said. “FWIDAY is weading to me.”

“Is she?” Bucky chuckled. “What a nice AI.”

“Yep,” Geo agreed.

You got up and stretched. “Alright,” you said. “I’m making a drink and trying this bath thing.”

Bucky held out his hand to you and you took it and squeezed before heading into the kitchen. He sat reading with Geo for a little while before Steve returned. He came up behind Bucky and kissed him on the crown of his head. It was the first really simple intimate boyfriend gesture Steve had made and it made Bucky smile and a warmth spread through him from the inside out. He looked up into Steve’s blue eyes.

“What shall we order for dinner?” Steve asked.

“How about I just cook,” Bucky said. “I like doing it anyway.”

“You sure?” Steve asked.

“Yeah,” he put, Geo onto the couch and got up. “You want mac and cheese, Gee?”

“Yes, pwease,” Geo said.

Bucky went into the kitchen and started on dinner. He had time so he thought he’d try his hand at Coq au vin. He’d made similar things in the past and even though it was a relatively simple recipe, he was hoping it struck a balance between romantic and comforting.

While it was in the oven, he made mac and cheese for Geo, hiding little pieces of broccoli and cauliflower in it.

“It smells so good out here,” you said, coming out of the bathroom in your robe. “I thought we were ordering in?”

“Felt like cooking,” Bucky said as you came in behind him in the kitchen. You looked over at Geo. He was sitting on the floor with his tablet, totally focused on his game, and you took the opportunity to kiss Bucky’s neck and run your hand over his ass. He smiled and turned, quickly pecking your lips. He was really enjoying being a boyfriend again, and he couldn’t wait for you to feel ready to let Geo know, though he understood completely about not wanting him to get too attached to the idea that the three of you were together.

“I could definitely get used to that,” you said.

“Yeah, you’re gonna have to get used to…” he trailed off not sure how to end the sentence.

“What just happened?” You chuckled.

“I was gonna say something dirty, but I think I’m out of practice,” he said.

You started laughing and rubbed his shoulder. “You can do something dirty to me later to make up for it.”

* * *

After dinner, you put Geo to bed and the three of you sat cuddled up together on the couch watching a movie called Stardust. Bucky was enjoying it, but not as much as he liked the intimacy of holding and being held by you and Steve. He liked how the three of you shared kisses and gentle touches as you watched. He had been a boyfriend before, but it was so long ago that it felt like it had happened to someone else. This felt new and exciting.

As the credits rolled Steve stretched and switched off the TV. “Shall we go to bed?”

“I think that would be a very good idea,” you agreed.

Bucky followed the two of you into the bedroom and as soon as he closed the door Steve pulled you into a deep and hungry kiss. Bucky stepped up behind you and Steve pulled back from you and drew Bucky into a kiss. You started to unfasten Steve’s shirt and you pushed it off his shoulders. As Bucky and Steve kissed you kissed your way down Steve’s chest and down his stomach. Steve pulled back and looked down at you. The pale blue in his eyes was blown out black with lust.

Bucky took a deep breath and crouched down behind you as you started unfastening Steve’s belt. You turned your head and kissed him. Your tongue coaxed Bucky’s lips apart and he brought his tongue out and circled it with yours. You swirled them together graphically like it wasn’t just a kiss between you and Bucky but it was also for Steve. Steve watched you both as he unfastened his pants and pushed them down. His cock sprang up against him, long and thick and as perfect as the rest of his body. Steve’s hands went to both yours and Bucky’s heads. Bucky moaned softly into your lips at the soft tug on his scalp and he pulled back a little. You took Steve’s cock in your hand and pumped it, your eyes locked onto Bucky’s. He leaned in and you followed so that you were both kissing over the length of Steve’s cock. Steve groaned and his hand tightened in Bucky’s hair. You and Bucky kissed graphically up and down Steve’s shaft. Your tongues swirled together, massaging it and licking up the salty pre-come that leaked from the head.

Bucky had never done anything like this before and it was making him rock hard. He knew he liked it when he got his dick sucked, he hadn’t expected that he’d liked doing it as much as he was.

You started sucking on the head of Steve’s cock and Bucky ran his tongue down the shaft and over his balls. He ran his metal hand up Steve’s stomach, tracing the flawless skin and running over the hills and valleys of his muscles. His other hand he used to explore your body. He teased your breasts and ran his hand down into your pants and began to finger your clit.

You moaned and bobbed your head up and down on Steve’s cock faster. Bucky hummed and sucked on one of Steve’s balls as he thrust two fingers inside of you and began to fuck you with them. Both you and Steve began to pant. Steve pulled back and cupped your jaw, guiding you back up into a kiss as he took Bucky’s hand and guiding him to his feet too.

Bucky ran his hands down to your hips and pushed your pants down. At the same time, Steve broke the kiss and lifted your shirt up over your head.

Steve picked you up and carried you to the bed, laying you down on the mattress. He pulled your panties down and off, and moved between your legs and began to lap at your folds. Bucky began to undress as he watched you. He was achingly hard and it was almost a relief to finally push his jeans off. When he was naked, he moved up next to Steve, pushing your legs a little wider. He brought his head in and began flicking his tongue with Steve’s over your dripping cunt. The salty tart fluids coated Bucky’s tongue as he danced it with Steve’s. Your moans got louder and louder and your cunt dripped more and more. Your hands bunched into the sheets and you arched your back. Bucky gazed up at you, watching the way your muscles clenched and contorted as your orgasm got closer and closer. Bucky sucked on your clit and Steve pushed two of his fingers inside you and twisted his wrist and you came, crying out and arching hard off the bed.

Bucky couldn’t take it anymore. He scrambled up between your legs, barely even giving Steve a chance to get out of the way. He brought his lips to yours and lined himself up and sunk deep into the wet warmth of your cunt. You both moaned into the kiss and Steve moved up behind him. Steve began to rut against Bucky’s ass as Bucky thrust into you. The feel of Steve’s cock moving against him, leaving a sticky trail from the small of his back to the crack of his ass, added to the pleasure Bucky was feeling. His cock throbbed inside you and he pulled back and leaned against Steve, turning his head slightly as he panted and thrust hard into you again and again.

Steve captured his lips and reached around his waist and began to rub your clit. “Fuck!” You mewled, bucking your hips in time with Bucky’s thrusts. Bucky’s hips began to stutter and his cock twitched.

“Oh fuck,” he groaned, breaking the kiss with Steve. “‘M Close.”

“Me too,” you moaned, arching your back.

Steve pinched your clit and you cried out as your orgasm crashed down on you. Your cunt squeezed tight around his shaft, milking it. Bucky groaned and snapped his hips forward and came with a low groan.

“Steve,” you moaned, gesturing to him.

Steve moved around to you and you pulled his cock into your mouth. You bobbed your head up and down and tugged on his balls. Bucky watched on, slipping from inside you and lying down so he was spooned around you and you sucked Steve’s cock. Bucky reached over and teased his fingers over Steve’s ass and with a loud groan Steve’s balls tightened and he came into your mouth.

You moaned, holding his cock in your mouth until it still and you rolled over and brought your lips to Bucky’s, pushing some of the thick salty liquid into his mouth. It was one of the dirtiest things Bucky had ever experienced but somehow it had this strange level of intimacy too. It was dirty yet sexy and Bucky loved it. He swallowed it down and fell back onto the mattress with a contented sigh.

“Holy shit,” you hummed.

“Yeah,” Steve said. “We’re getting pretty good at that.”

Bucky watched your face as you tried not to laugh. You couldn’t hold it though. You snorted and broke down into giggles. That was all it took for Bucky to start laughing too, and he knew, he was going to do everything he could to hold on to this.


	14. Chapter 14

Steve woke before both you and Bucky. He would normally get up and go for a run, but there was something too inviting about staying curled up in bed with both of you to resist.

Bucky had ended up in the middle, cuddled around you while Steve spooned him. Seeing him now, wrapped around you, reminded Steve of when they were still boys and hadn’t acknowledged how they felt. Steve would often wake up with Bucky draped over him. Steve had never liked feeling that small. He wondered if Bucky had liked being able to hold someone like that.

The bedroom door opened and a bleary-eyed looking Geo cuddling his tablet. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and just stared at the bed.

“Hey, G,” Steve said, softly. “You wanna climb in here with us?”

Geo shook his head and point at the door before shoving his thumb back in his mouth.

Steve smiled and untangled himself from Bucky. It wasn’t as easy as he thought, and Bucky grumbled and shifted closer to you. It was interesting. He’d walked in on Bucky sleeping a few times since getting him back and Bucky had always jolted awake and gone into a defensive position, prepared to be attacked. Yet here he was, deep asleep and not waking for either someone entering the room or being shuffled around. Steve wondered if Bucky was just more attuned to what was happening and who was with him, or he was just so relaxed that his usual expectations of being attacked had just failed to be set off.

Steve followed Geo out into the living room and the little boy went straight to the kitchen and pointed up at the cupboard where Steve kept his cereal. “You want some breakfast, buddy?”

Geo nodded and pointed again and Steve opened the cupboard. The array of cereal had definitely expanded since you moved in. He used to have granola, corn flakes, and cheerios. Now there were Honey Bunches of Oats, Rice Krispies, and Lucky Charms in there too. “Which one do you want, G?”

Geo still wasn’t talking. He just pointed again and Steve started to touch the boxes in the hope that Geo might nod when he touched the one he wanted.

“Captain Rogers,” FRIDAY announced. “Geo wanted me to tell you he wants Lucky Charms.”

Steve chuckled and got the box from the cupboards. “Thanks, FRIDAY,” he said. “You not ready to talk yet, Gee?”

Geo shook his head, his thumb firmly planted in his mouth.

Steve grabbed a plastic bowl and poured the cereal into it. “That’s okay. You don’t have to talk to anyone.”

He added milk to the cereal, grabbed a spoon, and set Geo up at the coffee table with a box of apple juice. He turned on some cartoons and Geo just sat quietly watching Scooby-Doo as he ate. Steve went back into the kitchen to try and figure out what he’d make for everyone else. He wasn’t really much of a cook. Or a cook at all. He liked to joke he could make a peanut butter sandwich and it would end up burned. While he considered what he could handle that was more than just toast and cereal, he put on the coffee.

You and Bucky emerged from the bedroom still looking like you were both not quite awake. Bucky came straight to the kitchen while you went and kissed Geo good morning.

“Were you trying to make breakfast?” Bucky asked.

“I was thinking about it,” Steve said. “It’s the thought that counts right?”

“You tell that to my stomach, pal,” Bucky teased and started pulling things out of the fridge.

“Thanks for getting Geo his breakfast,” you said, coming into the kitchen. “What are we making?”

“I was thinking omelets,” Bucky said. “We can put what we like in them.”

“Sounds perfect,” you agreed and grabbed a bowl and started cracking eggs into it. “So I was thinking…”

Steve looked over at you. There was an edge to your voice that told him you were overthinking things again.

“I’m really worried about Geo starting to see you as … well dads I guess,” you said. You spoke quietly, clearly not wanting Geo to overhear. “At least not until we’re all absolutely sure this is it for all of us. And it’s far too early for that. I was already concerned about him forming too strong bonds with everyone here. I don’t want him to start getting separation anxiety on top of everything else.”

“So what were you thinkin’, hon?” Bucky asked, looking up from the cutting he was doing.

“Well, I’m staying here because it’s not safe too. But ideally, I wouldn’t be living with Steve,” you explained. “I’m wondering if I should start sleeping in Geo’s room again. Not always. Just… so he doesn’t get the image of us in bed together connected with the way parents sleep in the same bed in TV shows. You know?”

Steve nodded, though he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

“I think maybe you shouldn’t sleep over all the time either, Buck. Just … you know?” You said.

Bucky nodded too and rubbed your back. “I get it.”

“But I think this could be good for us too, because… I think we should also spend time together as couples. Particularly you two. I think you have to … explore some things together without me,” you explained. “You know what I mean?”

Steve couldn’t fault your logic. There had been so much he and Bucky had missed out on and even though he’d enjoyed the sex he’d had with you both, there were probably things they needed to try one-on-one too. It was good to make sure the bonds with each other were as strong as the bonds as a trio were too. “It makes sense,” he agreed.

“Good,” you said, sounding relieved. “So I don’t know, maybe some nights we all sleep here, some nights it’s just me and Bucky, and some night you guys sleepover in Bucky’s apartment. And we just… take turns with this being Geo’s home. Does that … is that okay?”

“It’s a really good idea,” Bucky agreed. “And trust me, the last thing we want to do is hurt Geo. So we’ll be careful.”

“Thanks, Bucky,” you said. “I mean, I want this to work…”

“Of course you do,” Steve said. “We all do, but you’re right to protect him.”

“So, uh…” Bucky said, getting a pan out. “How do we decide?”

“Yeah, that’s tricky,” you said. “Don’t want people to feel left out, so how about tonight, that is if you’re both available, you guys go on a first date. You have a lot of time to make up.”

“You really wouldn’t mind?” Steve asked.

You shook your head. “Geo and I can watch a movie and have an early night.”

“Alright, Buck? What do you think? Want to go out for dinner with me?” Steve asked.

Bucky smiled. It was genuine and Steve could see the love he felt reflected back at him. “I’d love to, Stevie.”

* * *

Steve took Bucky to a jazz club in the end. It was dark and loud and very difficult to talk, but Steve didn’t feel like he needed to talk to Bucky. He and Bucky had talked and talked and talked and talked. It was time for all the other things they’d missed out on. The holding hands on the table. The sharing bites of each other’s food. The cuddling. The stolen kisses. He needed to have the dance. He wanted the dance he had failed to get in all his years on earth.

The jazz club was perfect because of how dark and loud it was. He didn’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing or having people’s eyes on him. The food was good but not outside his comfort zone, so he didn’t have to worry about the wrong choice. Most importantly, he could dance to music that was familiar to him with the man he had been in love with since 1935.

Steve had chosen familiar foods. It was food he’d imagined would have seemed so fancy to him back when he was a kid. A shrimp cocktail for starters and rib-eye steak for his entree. He even ordered a martini, like he was playing at being a spy and this was the persona he needed to fit.

Bucky was a little more daring, ordering grilled asparagus with goat’s cheese to start and mussels served in a garlic and white wine broth for his entree.

It almost didn’t matter in the end though. They sat close to each other on their tiny table and they switched plates back and forth as they ate. Steve got all the things he’d imagined when he was young when he thought about going out on a date with Bucky. Only no one cared that it was two men sitting there, holding hands and stealing kisses. The floor was always packed with people swing dancing.

They were finishing up their meals when Bucky leaned into him. “Are you actually going to ask me to dance, pal?”

Steve smiled and his face flushed. “Will you lead? I still don’t know how.”

“Yeah, Stevie,” Bucky said, standing and offering Steve his hand. “I’ll lead.”

Bucky led Steve around the dance floor, spinning him and dipping him. The more they danced the more comfortable Steve felt and the better he got. Until they were both laughing and jiving together in the crowd of people.

The music changed from something up-tempo to something slow and sexy. For a moment Steve considered sitting down. It was one thing to jitterbug with Bucky, it was another completely to slow dance with him in front of all these people. Bucky didn’t seem to question it for a second, he just pulled Steve close and put his hands on Steve’s hips. They slowly swayed together on the dance floor, cheek-to-cheek. The smell of Bucky’s cologne, warm and woody, mixed with the salt on his skin, seemed to cut through the smell of sweat and alcohol and cooking that otherwise dominated the room. It was just him and Bucky, and while part of him wished you were here too to be part of this, he appreciated that it was just Bucky. It felt right.

“I want you to take me home,” Bucky whispered against Steve’s ear. Normally Bucky saying something like that would make Steve worry he was in the midst of a panic attack. There was something completely different about it this time. Something dark and sexy.

Steve took his hand and led him off the dance floor. He settled the check as quickly as he could and the two made their way back out and flagged down a cab.

Bucky kept nosing at Steve’s cheek and trying to initiate a kiss. Steve wasn’t ready for that yet. Not so publicly. It wasn’t Bucky. He’d be the same with you too. Public displays of affection made him feel awkward.

“Stevie,” Bucky teased, nipping at Steve’s earlobe.

“Just be patient,” Steve said, nudging Bucky.

The car pulled up at the front of the Avengers Tower and Steve paid while Bucky tried to drag him out of the back seat.

When they got into the elevator Bucky pushed him up against the wall and kissed him hungrily. Steve couldn’t stop smiling into Bucky’s lips even as the other man fumbled at his belt and dragged him close so their hips touched.

The elevator opened and Bucky practically dragged Steve down to his apartment. “So eager, Buck,” Steve teased as he let Bucky pull him through the door into his apartment.

Bucky’s apartment was always impossibly clean, but pretty homey. The couch was a soft black leather but most everything else was timber. A mixture of stained ash, cedar, and white paint. He had art on the walls. Mostly photography or vector art of cars or motorcycles, but there was a sketch Steve had done of the view down the street from Bucky’s fire escape. It was a recent one and done by memory. Something Steve had drawn in the hopes of prodding Bucky’s memory. There was also a calendar on the wall set on the wrong month with a print of Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.

“I just -“ he looked over to the bedroom. “-you know?”

Steve laughed and began to unbutton Bucky’s shirt. “It’s not like we did that very long ago.”

“Yeah,” Bucky said, grabbing the waistband of Steve’s pants and dragging him toward the bedroom. “And it was good. And now I want to do it again.”

Bucky started to kiss Steve’s neck as he unfastened his pants and Steve pushed Bucky’s shirt off. Steve trailed his fingers along the scarring that connected Bucky’s arm to his shoulder. Bucky flinched and took Steve’s hand and moved it down to his side.

“Sorry,” Steve whispered, kissing Bucky’s neck. “Does it hurt?”

Bucky shook his head. “No… well yeah, always. But not more when you touch it. I just hate it. Don’t want to be reminded of it now.”

“I’m sorry,” Steve said. He got it. It was a constant brutal reminder of what had happened to him. What he’d lost and how he’d been changed. Steve got sensitive about people pointing out his looks after he had the serum when they ignored him so much before it. The arm and the scarring would be much worse than that.

“Don’t worry,” Bucky said and brought his lips to Steve’s. They kissed passionately. Their lips moved against each other’s, as Bucky pulled Steve back towards the bed. Steve unfastened Bucky’s fly and pushed his pants down. When Bucky was down to just his boxer briefs, he pushed Steve back onto the bed and straddled his lap, kissing him hungrily as he ground his hips against Steve’s.

Steve was still fully dressed and his cock began to strain against his pants. He could feel Bucky’s erection with each roll of the other man’s hips. It rubbed against Steve’s and a little wet patch began to form on Bucky’s underwear.

Steve ran his hands down Bucky’s back and gripped his ass, pulling him firmer against him. “Fuck, Steve… I want you…” Bucky groaned.

“I’m yours, Buck,” Steve whispered.

Bucky began to frantically undress Steve, fumbling with the buttons of his shirt and the buckle on his belt. Steve lay back and tangled his hands in Bucky’s hair, letting him take the lead. When Bucky had finally stripped Steve of his clothes, he looked down into his eyes and ran his metal hand over Steve’s chest.

Steve was achingly hard but a little unsure what to do next and it looked like Bucky might be feeling a little lost too. Steve pushed Bucky’s boxers down and wrapped his hand around both their cocks and began to pump them in his hand as they were pressed together.

“Fuck, Stevie,” Bucky groaned. “That feels so good.”

Steve rolled them both over so he was on top. “I want you to feel good,” he whispered and began to kiss Bucky’s neck. Bucky reached over to his bedside table and fumbled around as Steve began to kiss his way down Bucky’s chest. There was a crash as the drawer fell to the ground and Steve looked up startled to see Bucky holding a tube of lubricant up almost triumphantly.

“What do you want?” Steve asked, taking it from Bucky.

“Stretch me,” Bucky said, the hint of pleading in his voice.

Steve nodded and slicked his fingers with the thick gel. Bucky wrapped his arms around his knees, lifting them so Steve had better access to his ass. Steve teased his fingers over Bucky’s tight hole and very slowly began to ease one inside. Bucky closed his eyes and his head fell back with his lips slightly parted. A soft low moan escaped his lips and Steve couldn’t help but admire how beautiful Bucky looked when he let himself enjoy something.

Steve dropped his head down, pulling Bucky’s cock into his mouth. He licked a salty bead of pre-come off the head of Bucky’s cock, savoring the taste of the man he’d been in love with for so long and appreciating the fact he was finally getting to have this. He eased his finger in deeper, moving it in and out as he slowly bobbed his head up and down on Bucky’s cock, testing his own limits as he tested Bucky’s.

Bucky gave himself to his pleasure. Relaxing into it. He squirmed under Steve and moaned loudly. It was happening very quickly. Steve had only gotten his finger into one knuckle when Bucky’s cock began to throb in Steve’s mouth. Steve kept the same steady pace. He wanted Bucky to enjoy this. No pain. No shame. Just pleasure. He moved his finger in and out, pushing it in a little more each time but never forcing it. If Bucky clenched, he’d pull back, when he relaxed, Steve would push in deeper.

He took Bucky’s cock deeper into his throat, gagging a little as he did. His mouth stretched around his thick shaft but he enjoyed it. His own cock was hard and leaking as he pleasured Bucky. Bucky’s moans became panting and his hips started to buck up into Steve’s mouth.

“Steve,” he moaned. “Stevie, I’m gonna come.”

Steve moved a little faster and sucked a little harder and with a loud moan, Bucky arched his back and came, his cock releasing straight down Steve’s throat. There was so much, and Steve swallowed it all, saving the thick and salty mess. He moaned as he pulled off and slid his fingers from Bucky’s ass.

Bucky almost jumped up pulling Steve into a passionate and frantic kiss. “Fuck, Stevie,” he mumbled between kisses. “I wanna do you. Can I?”

“Yeah,” Steve laughed, Bucky’s lips still firmly on his. “Yeah, Buck. I’d like that.”

Bucky guided Steve onto his back and scrambled down Steve’s body. He quickly slicked the fingers with the lube and dropped down, sucking Steve’s cock. Steve groaned at the warm, wet pressure of Bucky’s mouth. He kept his eyes locked on him, enjoying the view as Bucky sucked up and down his cock. Bucky massaged Steve’s asshole as he bobbed his head up and down on his cock. It sent a warm tingled running through Steve, and his head felt pleasantly fuzzy with it. There was a slight burn as Bucky’s finger eased in. Steve hadn’t been expecting how completely good that would feel, even the slight pain that happened the deeper Bucky pushed his finger was the good kind, like after a good workout. He groaned and began to roll his hips up into Bucky’s mouth. Bucky let him push in deeper and started adding a second finger. The burn was more but Steve enjoyed that too. He moaned loudly, letting himself really experience it.

As Bucky’s fingers moved deeper and faster in and out of Steve’s ass, Steve began to pant and his cock twitched and throbbed. Bucky moaned as it began to leak precum down his throat. Bucky’s fingers touched on this sweet spot inside Steve and Steve gasped and jerked his hips. “Fuck!” I cursed, and he came hard and without warning. His orgasm seemed to start in his gut, something he’d never experienced before. The intensity of it shocked him. Bucky choked and pulled back, spilling Steve’s come on his stomach.

Bucky pulled his finger out and collapsed down on the bed beside Steve.

“That was…” Steve hummed.

“Mmm,” Bucky agreed.

Steve sat up and kissed Bucky’s stomach. “Let’s take a shower.”

Bucky smiled and got up with him. As they went into the bathroom Steve felt warm and grateful that you’d given this time alone. You were right, you all needed that. But still, he was looking forward to tomorrow when it would be all three of you again.


	15. Chapter 15

It was too easy to fall into a sense of comfortable security while you were navigating your relationship with Bucky and Steve. Whether it was false or not, you still had moments where it scared you how many defenses you’d let down when you were with them. Two weeks after the incident at the library and you were heading out to parks again with Geo and Bucky. A month of nothing popping up on your radar and you were relaxed enough not to keep looking around everywhere while you were out. It wasn’t a conscious thing, but if you were asked why you’d relaxed so much you might have said that it was just a hope that the people after you had seen you with the Avengers and figured you were too difficult a target to pin down.

It was hard to say if it was exactly that. The truth was that being that relaxed most of the time made those times you weren’t relaxed worse. When it all bubbled up that it was quite possible that there were people out there that still wanted to get their hands on Geo you’d have a panic attack and on more than one occasion Steve and Bucky had needed to talk you down from doing something really rash or stupid.

You wished that there would be some kind of break in the case so that whoever the hell it was that had been hunting you could be arrested and your son could get a normal fucking life. Or at least a happy and stable one. Steve kept you up-to-date with what was going on, but even after almost two months of having people undercover they’d only managed to get in with a few of the larger dealers on the island and they still didn’t have the supplier.

You figured it had to happen some time though, so even when those panic attacks hit, you didn’t run. You were falling in love and as much as you were trying to protect Geo from becoming attached to Bucky or Steve you knew he already was. And not just to Bucky or Steve, but to Tony, Pepper, Natasha, Clint, and FRIDAY too. You had to commit to this working for his sake and hope it wasn’t the worst decision you’d ever made.

They made it easy to commit to though. The three of you had been following the plan you and Steve had set out. Bucky had been sticking to your side for every outing. He came to parks and museums with you, always making sure to stay alert ever when Geo was babbling away to him or using him as some kind of organic jungle gym. Even after a month and a half of no signs of being followed he stayed alert in ways you had stopped being. He noticed everything, and it might have been part of the reason why you had started to relax so much.

The three of you had been taking time to bond with each other individually as well as together. It was working well and even when you did have small flares of jealousy over what might have been perceived as a special bond between Bucky and Steve that you didn’t always feel you shared, they were quickly chased away when your own unique bond with each man was pulled into the spotlight.

This was not at all the life you had envisioned for yourself when you’d started college all those years ago, but considering the huge dip the roller coaster that was your life had taken, while this new high was unique, but you were definitely enjoying it.

Bucky had organized a trip to the Math Museum. He’d had to call ahead because the security at the venue was pretty tight and he didn’t want to have to explain why he was carrying two different handguns and three different knives into a children’s museum.

They let the three of you through the gift shop and as soon as you’d entered the play area Geo had rushed to the square wheeled tricycles and started riding one of them around in circles, occasionally needing Bucky to give him a little push but squealing with excitement anytime he got any kind of speed up.

“We really need to get that kid a bike,” Bucky said.

“Yeah, things like bikes were never really very practical,” you admitted. “I guess if we’re sticking around we can get one.”

Bucky smiled. It was a smile that made his eyes look soft and content and he wrapped his arm around your waist. “Next time we go out, we should take him to get one.”

Geo climbed off the bike and toddled over to you. You crouched down to face him and he flopped down onto the ground, his fingers opening and closing on the ground. “Down dare,” he said.

“You want to go downstairs?” You asked.

“They down dare,” he said and patted the floor.

“Okay, come on kiddo,” Bucky said, picking him up so he was upside down, kicking and giggling in delight. “Let’s go see downstairs.”

Bucky carried Geo down the stairs and it was clear even by halfway down what had been calling to Geo. The room was filled with interactive screens, battling robots, and floors that lit up with different games. Geo came alive. Running from activity to activity with no pattern you could follow but a smile that wouldn’t leave his face. There was no other kid there, regardless of their age that could keep up with him. Every machine seemed to want to please Geo and they all performed their roles perfectly for him.

It felt like you were down there for hours. Geo just jumping from one thing to the next. Eventually he started to wane and he ended up just lying down in the middle of the mathsquare - much to the annoyance at the kids trying to play on it.

Bucky went and scooped him up. “Okay, Gee, how about we go and get some hotdogs?”

“Bug-key,” Geo whined, flopping dramatically in his arms.

“Maybe we should just get him home, he looks pretty tired,” you said, as you walked upstairs with Bucky.

“Didn’t you want to head down to the farmer’s market?” Bucky asked. “You have the stroller right?”

You nodded. “Okay, if you’re sure.”

You grabbed the stroller and Bucky put the little boy in it. Geo immediately shoved his thumb in his mouth and held his hand up. Bucky dug around in this backpack and pulled out the tablet, giving it to Geo who immediately hugged it and closed his eyes.

Moments like these gave you such mixed feelings. Bucky had gotten so good with Geo he could read him without Geo using his words. He was becoming a dad to him more and more each day. It was wonderful in so many ways. Both Steve and Bucky seemed to love that role and it was rare to find men like that and here you had two who not only obviously liked Geo and cared about his wellbeing, but cared about you too and accepted that the two of you came as a package. Yet it was also terrifying. The more they fit that role the worse it would hurt if it didn’t last. It was so soon in your romantic relationship and it was so much pressure to love up to that even under normal circumstances things would feel like they were moving too fast and were too fragile to hold onto. And these were far from normal circumstances.

Bucky offered you his arm and you hooked yours around it and began the walk past Madison Square Park.

It wasn’t a long walk to Union Square Park and it was a nice day out. Geo was deep asleep by the time you arrived at the bustling markets.

“I consider myself a native and I don’t think I’ve ever been to these markets before,” Bucky said as you passed under the banner welcoming you to the markets. “There’s so much stuff.”

“What do you want to get? Purple carrots? Edible flowers? Little chilies that blow your head off?” You asked.

“Yes to all of those things,” he agreed. “But I’m hungry right now, so let’s find something we can eat as we walk around.”

You found a place selling pastries and paninis and grabbed a sandwich each to eat as you strolled the markets. Bucky kept getting ideas for meals with every new stall. Your reusable bags were soon filled with colorful tomatoes and chilies, purple carrots, rainbow chard, edible flowers, crusty bread, pickles bottled in Amish country, fresh herbs, raw honey and milk, and a selection of cured meats and cheeses. 

“I think we might have enough,” you said as Bucky started browsing punnets of fresh berries.

“We don’t have any fruit,” he argued. Geo likes blueberries and I could make a mixed berry pie.”

“Okay, okay, I won’t argue with pie,” you said.

Bucky had selected a few punnets and his phone rang as he went to pay. You took over for him as he answered the phone.

“Hey, Steve, what’s up?” He said, pressing the phone to his ear. “We’re at Union Square… Five minutes if I can get a cab… Alright, see you soon.”

He hung up the phone and looked at you. “Gonna have to go. Steve said it’s urgent.”

“Good urgent or bad?” You said, a familiar panic starting to close in around your heart like a snake.

“I don’t know. Come on,” he said, leading you back out of the markets. “We’ll find out soon enough.”


	16. Chapter 16

By the time you and Bucky got home, Geo was awake again. Bucky had given him a punnet of blueberries to eat on the elevator ride up. As soon as the three of you arrived at Steve’s apartment, the toddler jumped out of his stroller and carried the rest of the berries to the coffee table where he immediately started playing with his Lego.

“Good. You’re back,” Steve said, approaching the two of you. “Honey, I can’t say too much. But we’ve finally got a solid lead on who has been hunting you. We have to act quickly and hit hard. We’re leaving Hill, Agent 13, and some agents here. There’s also some of the Iron Legion. Stay put. You’re safe in the building. Don’t order food to be delivered. There’s the common room and a cafeteria on four if you don’t feel like cooking. If Geo gets bored, get FRIDAY to take you up to the party deck or the pool, but do not leave the building for any other reason.”

Bucky was used to Steve in the ‘take-charge, voice of authority’ mode he got into when he had slipped on the Captain America persona. Bucky had always taken comfort in it. When Steve was like this, as dumb as he might seem, Bucky trusted he had some kind of plan of attack. The look in your eye told him that you weren’t as comforted as Bucky was.

You had the wild-eyed look of a cornered animal, not sure whether to lash out or run. Steve put his hand on your arm and looked in your eyes. “This is it, sweetheart. We do this, and you’ll be free from it. You just have to trust us for a little longer.”

You nodded, and he kissed your forehead. “You stay safe.”

“You too, Steve,” you said quietly.

Bucky ruffled Geo’s hair and kissed your cheek. “We’ll see you soon, okay?” He said, hoping he sounded optimistic and comforting.

“Okay,” you said, obviously not buying it.

He looked back over his shoulder as he left the apartment following after Steve, seeing that you’d gone to sit with Geo. Something on his face told him you were going to prepare to run.

“You might need to tell Hill that she’s a flight risk,” Bucky said as they both got on the elevator.

“She knows,” Steve said. His jaw was clenched, and it twitched slightly. It was hurting him knowing how scared you were and that that fear was potentially a little more potent than the bonds you’d formed with them.

Bucky rubbed Steve’s shoulder. “We’ll end this. Tell me what’s going on.”

The doors opened on the armory, and they both strode in and started suiting up. Clint, Natasha, and Sam were all in there, getting the last of their gear. It looked like they had already been briefed, and they were just waiting for Bucky to get back.

“The intel came back,” Steve said, as he pulled on his body armor. “The drugs trace back to the Madripoor government. Three manufacturing plants control distribution. It all goes back to their current ruler. Ophelia Sarkissian, or as she is also known, Viper, the current head of HYDRA.”

“So it was HYDRA?” Bucky asked, buckling the last few straps on his suit.

“Yes,” Steve said, picking up his shield. “Though not originally. IGH was its own thing. When Jessica Jones broke up their operation, HYDRA swooped in and collected up the scraps. With the work they gathered using Loki’s scepter, paired with what they found from IGH, they were able to re-create a drug similar to the combat enhancers that IGH were selling to the American Military, but with more erratic side effects. It looks like they want Geo to see if they can work out how to make a more permanent drug.”

“So, what’s the plan?” Bucky asked, shouldering the last of his weapons.

Steve indicated to the door and Bucky, and the others followed him back to the elevator. “We’re going in teams - four in total. Three will be hitting the manufacturing plants, the other - Castle Madripoor. Each team will have additional agents with them.”

The elevator stopped, and they got out onto the landing bay. One jet was ready for take-off, and the other three were being prepared and waiting in a queue to use the launch pad. Everyone gathered around Steve.

“Team one is Sam, Wanda, and Clint,” Steve said, speaking to everyone but without breaking his flow with Bucky. “Two are Rhodey, Natasha, and Bruce. The third will be Bucky, Vision, and Tony. Your groups will be the ones hitting the plants. It’ll be important you not let anyone get out and get as much data as you can. Carol, Thor - you’re with me. The full briefs will be given on the jets. We know HYDRA. They are good at spreading roots. We need to rip it all out in one go. If they have any of this hiding elsewhere, we need to find it. Any questions?”

When no one spoke up, the teams all split up. Steve grabbed Bucky’s arm before he went to his Jet. “Be careful, Buck,” he said.

Bucky smiled and pressed his forehead against Steve’s. “You too. We’ll get them. We stopped them coming for Wanda and me. We’ll stop them coming for her too.”

Steve closed his eyes and took a deep breath before breaking apart and heading to his jet. Bucky ran to the plane his team was using. They were already in place and waiting for him. Tony was in the cockpit with one of the agents Bucky had seen around; he thought her name might be Jacobs. “Finished making kissy faces with your boyfriend, Barnes?” Tony said and started flicking switches, preparing to take off.

Bucky put his machine gun into one of the racks and sat down, buckling himself into the jumpseat. “So, what’s the plan?” He said.

“Me and Viz are gonna jump out before we get in sight of the island and go ahead. Viz is going to stealth in, get the data. I’ll come in after - seal off the place. You and the rest, land, and circle in and lock everything down,” Tony explained. “Should be a piece of cake. The castle is going to be the bitch, but Cap squared should be able to handle it.”

Bucky nodded and sat quietly, letting himself fall into the dark space he always went into when he had to fight. He was a little worried about going back to you when he was done with this. It still took about a week to shake off the soldier after a battle like this, and you hadn’t seen him like that. Overriding that was the concern that you wouldn’t be there at all. He couldn’t help but worry that he’d get back home, still in the winter soldier headspace, and he’d find you and Geo missing. He didn’t quite know how he’d survive that. Or at least the him that had started to heal and feel worthy since you, Steve, and he had started seeing each other. That soft part of his person that was so fragile and so hopeful would never see the light of day again if that happened.

By the time Tony and Vision had left the jet to hit first, Bucky was buried in the dark zone of the soldier. Aware of every flicker of movement, every sound made, every color in the room, yet not at all attached to his emotions. Like he was an empty shell that processed the physical and nothing else.

The jet landed, and Bucky led the team out the cargo bay hatch. “Branch out, we’re going in on all sides,” he ordered. The agents followed his instruction, circling the factory. 

The sound of fighting was already loud, making him sink further down into that place inside him that HYDRA had made. Tony circled overhead, and a series of explosions rocked the nearside of the factory. Bucky shouldered his machine gun and ran.

Armed guards met him at the now destroyed fence around the facility. Other workers were running around wildly, but from the looks of it, it didn’t take too much to get them to drop to the ground and surrender.

The guards were more difficult. They had HYDRA tech, and there were a lot of them. Bucky wasn’t concerned. He never was when he got into this state. He had a mission - he would complete it. Besides, he knew HYDRA better than he knew himself. He knew how they fought. He knew their weapons. He knew how to take them down.

He moved quickly and without hesitation. He shot two guards before he even reached the factory. He leaped over the remnants of the fence and took out three more. He ducked behind a wall and tossed a grenade at a truck that was barreling toward some agents.

A wall exploded nearby, and Bucky ran to the hole, jumping through it. Some HYDRA goons were inside shoveling pills into their mouth. Bucky took each of them out and ducked to the side as someone came charging at him. They lumbered through the wall and out the other side. “Stark,” Bucky called over the comms. “They’re taking the pills.”

“Shit,” Tony cursed. “I’ll take care of the supers; you see if you can secure the drugs.”

Bucky moved through the room, taking out anyone that behaved aggressively, putting anyone else in cuffs. Outside he could hear the battle. It was already dying out. While the plant was guarded, it wasn’t a military stronghold. Bucky moved to an elevated position and watched over the room. Another guard made a play for the drugs, and he took them out with his sniper rifle before they reached them. Besides that, the room remained quiet. The sounds from outside started to die off and then went silent. A few agents came in and began rounding up the people in cuffs, but Bucky stood and waited. He had a mission, and he’d stand here until it was done.

Tony flew in and landed next to Bucky. “Hey, robocop,” he said, his visor sliding back. “Vision’s still downloading the data. We’re doing a cleanup. We kinda need to be quick because this is technically an act of war. They’re breaking international law, but they’re gonna retaliate.”

Bucky nodded, watching as even more agents came in and began packing up the drugs and equipment.

“You gonna be okay watching this? I’ll go patrol. We should be fine given there’s an attack going on on the castle right now,” Tony said.

Bucky nodded again. “You heard anything?”

Tony clapped him on the shoulder. “The other factories are ours. Still working on the castle. Your boyfriend is fine so far.”

Something relaxed inside Bucky. He didn’t say anything as Tony took off again, and even as he stood there, keeping watch of the operation, a small smile cracked through the hard exterior as he realized that he did still have that soft part of him, even now.


	17. Chapter 17

“This is an act of war, Captain!”

Ophelia Sarkissian stood behind a small army. Steve wasn’t too concerned, he had his own, and he’d already taken out more HYDRA than was remaining just getting to the self-proclaimed Queen of Madripoor. She had no true claim to the throne, except that she decided to use her position as Madame HYDRA to take it. She had also broken several international laws outside of the fact that she was leading a criminal organization that was officially disbanded under orders of the UN after world war two. Not to mention the crimes of unauthorized human experimentation, human trafficking, and kidnapping. This was a sanctioned mission. There would be some time spent in international courts after this was through, but Viper as she liked to be called, was going to the Raft and she would stay there until the day she died.

Carol landed beside him and gave a short nod. “Sarkissian,” Steve shouted. “Give yourself up. This has gone far enough. You know you haven’t got a leg to stand on.”

“Madripoor doesn’t recognize your authority Captain,” Sarkissian snarled. “Leave now.”

“I don’t know about you, Cap,” Carol said. “But I think she talks a little too much.”

“I think you’re right, Captain,” Steve said. “Time to finish this.”

Carol took flight and barrelled into the group of HYDRA soldiers. They went flying like pins in an alley. “Stop them, you idiots!” Sarkissian screamed as she shot a photon blast at Carol.

The soldiers that hadn’t been sent sprawling by carol had all quickly tossed back some pills. Almost instantaneously the room erupted in chaos. Carol and Viper were taking turns firing on each other. The soldiers were changing. Some bulking up. Some grew tentacles or horns. One on the far east side seemed to sprout wings from his back. Steve threw his shield into the mass and began to fight. He knew his agents were with him. They began engaging in combat and he was very glad he’d taken the extra time to train his people to fight against enhanced soldiers.

He called his shield back and began fighting through the group to get to Viper. Something sticky wrapped around his leg as he punched a guy who seemed to have had a crustacean-like shell form around him hard enough to crack the shell down the middle. He slammed the shield down without looking and whatever grabbed him. It let go and he vaulted over two more soldiers that seemed to have started growing fur. He knew this battle wasn’t going to be a long one. The drugs started to overload the soldier’s systems too fast and their bodies would start shutting down. They were just trying to finish it first. With Carol there, he did not doubt at all they’d be able to do it. The problem was, Steve wanted to take them all alive.

He tossed his shield again, clearing a path to Viper who was now trying to escape through a secret door behind her throne. Carol blasted the wall and Steve vaulted, first over two HYDRA agents and then the throne, catching his shield and slamming into Viper, knocking her sideways. She caught herself before she fell and attacked him. Carol began to circle the room taking out the mutated agents as Steve fought Viper one-on-one. She wasn’t strong, but she was agile and highly trained.

“Do you think this will protect your beloved?” Viper sneered as she parried with him. “Or the child? This is HYDRA, cut off one head…”

“And two more grow in its place,” Steve said in a bored voice, aiming a series of blows to her side. “Save it. I’ve heard it before.”

She flipped forward, aiming to put him in a thigh lock. Steve reacted quickly, stepping to the side and using his shield to slam her straight down into the ground. Steve used the back of his shield to hold her down. “Ophelia Sarkissian, I take you into custody on behalf of the United Nations for crimes against humanity,” he said. “And while you’re mulling things over on the Raft, you might want to let any of your colleagues that we don’t collect up today that Geo is not worth it. Whatever you think that little boy can unlock, you’d have to go through the Avengers to get it, and this is what will come from it.”

Viper’s tongue pushed inside her cheek. “Hail -”

He knew what was happening before he even realized he knew. He quickly shoved his hand into her mouth, and she bit down into the glove, hard enough that if he was anyone else, she might have broken his fingers. Carol landed beside him and raised her eyebrow.

“That’s a weird fighting technique, Steve,” she said. “They teach you that in the army?”

Steve smirked as he grabbed the cyanide capsule between his pointer and middle finger and pulled it out of Viper’s mouth. “Taught me to notice things. Sorry to hear the Airforce was lacking in that department.”

Carol bit back an obvious laugh and looked around the room. “I think we got them all. We might want to call in the cleanup crew.”

Steve nodded and let out a sigh of relief. You would be safe now. At least for a while. He just hoped you would be there when he got back.

* * *

The clean up took a long time. Normally Steve was okay with that. He never wanted to rush things when it came to cleaning up after a mission. He wanted to make sure all the injured were treated, any dead were taken to a morgue, anyone arrested was processed and locked up. All the I’s needed to be dotted and all the T’s crossed. He had to make sure that what he had just fought to do, didn’t get immediately undone like had happened in the past.

This time he was antsy. He needed to make sure everything was above board. They had just taken a dictator out. The power reshuffle could end up being dangerous. He had to make sure every single person who was arrested today stayed locked up. Particularly Viper. He had to make sure all the drugs that were seized were processed and then destroyed and none ended up being taken and sold on the black market or worse, in the hands of yet another government agency hoping to recreate the super-soldier program. He had to make sure that any data about the program that led to the creation of the drugs in the first place was locked up and kept out of the hands of any government agency.

Most importantly of all though, he had to make sure all names, including yours and Geo’s, were expunged from all data seized. He had to protect you and anyone else that this had happened to, from ever being hunted again.

However, while he was supervising medics, and prisoner containment, and signing paperwork, and speaking with various authorities, he couldn’t stop thinking of you and Bucky. He knew Bucky was okay. He’d heard from every one of the other groups and knew they’d all been successful. He knew that he was supervising the clean up in the same way Steve was. He also knew exactly how Bucky got when he was on a mission. He knew the dark place his lover went to. He knew how long it took for Bucky to shake it off again. Every time in the past Steve had wanted to hold him and tell him it was going to be okay. That Steve had him and he always would. But back then they were just friends and he wasn’t sure where the line was that would be okay. Now he could do it and his mind kept flicking back to how he wanted to check on Bucky. To hold him if he needed it. Or to run a bath and wash the battle out of his hair.

More than that, he kept worrying about you. Now he was on his way home he knew Bucky would be there. He wasn’t as sure about you. He was worried that you’d have run and that if you did run, that you’d have run straight into the arms of HYDRA.

Usually when the jet came into land at the Avengers Tower Steve was exhausted and ready to finish paperwork, debrief, and then sleep. As the jet came into land, he was as tightly wound as he was when the mission started.

He was off the jet first, heading for the elevator before Hill managed to cut him off. He rode it directly down to his floor and had to hold himself back from breaking into a run as he made his way to his apartment. He threw the door open and looked around. The only sound was the hum of the refrigerator and air conditioning. Geo’s Lego was on the coffee table, but that meant nothing. If you’d run you’d have taken the go-bag and little else. He called out your name and moved into the room. He knew you weren’t here even as your name left his lips, but he hoped that maybe he was wrong and you and Geo were just napping.

He tried to find some signs of what happened. A note that might let him know where you went. The signs of a scuffle would even be good because then it meant you hadn’t chosen to leave him. There was nothing out of order. The kitchen was clean. He went into Geo’s room and looked around. The bed was made, but there were a lot of Geo’s toys around. The teddy bear he slept with was on the bed. He hoped that was something to say you hadn’t run, but the fact he couldn’t see Geo’s tablet anywhere was making his heart hammer in his chest.

The door opened and he spun around and practically launched himself back through the door to see who it was. Bucky stepped through the door and Steve sagged.

“Wow, thought you’d be happy to see me,” Bucky said, a playful lilt in his tone.

Despite the tone, Steve felt bad. He’d hoped it would be you and while he was of course happy to see Bucky back safe and sound, and even happier that he could be as playfully teasing as he was, it didn’t change the fact you weren’t here. “It’s just…”

“Steeb!”

Geo’s voice reached him before you appeared behind Bucky holding the little boy. Steve rushed to you, pulling up when he reached you and cradling your jaw. “Oh my god,” he said. “I thought you’d left.”

You furrowed your brow and looked up at him, Geo was tugging on Steve’s armor, and he took the boy from you without even realizing he was doing it. “You told me not to go out.”

“Where were you?” He asked.

“FRIDAY said your jet had landed and I went up to meet you,” you explained. “And then Hill said you’d come down here, but then Bucky’s jet landed so we waited for him to come down here. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

Steve shook his head. “I should have trusted that you’d be here.”

“It’s okay,” you said softly, leaning in a little, so the breath you exhaled teased his lips. “I’m glad you’re both safe.”

He brought his lips to yours and as you kissed him softly but deeply he felt his muscles relax. There would be work to do still. He had to make sure that Viper went to the Raft and everything he had done to protect you had worked, but this was the start of things. You were safe and here with Bucky. The three of you could have a life together.

You pulled back slowly and caressed his cheek. “You both look like shit. You want to take a shower and sleep?”

“God damn yes,” Bucky said.

“We’re going to need to head down to the armory and then debrief. Steve said. “You’ll be here won’t you?”

“Yes, Steve,” you teased, giving him a gentle push. “Go. Do what you need to do and I’ll make sure there’s dinner here for when you both get back. I promise I’m not going anywhere.”


	18. Epilogue

Your feet hurt a little and you were hungry to the point that you were considering just tearing a piece off the sourdough loaf you’d bought, and eating it plain before you even finished your ride up in the elevator. Even with these minor discomforts, you felt really good. You had just ventured out to the nearest bodega alone for the first time since moving to the Tower.

It had been eight months since the raid on Madripoor and while everyone had doubts that HYDRA was gone for good the new rightful ruler of Madripoor was pretty thorough with cleaning the NAZI organization out of their nation. Not for any particular need to clear out all criminal organizations mind you, just to clear out the one creating the most competition. Madripoor was for all accounts, still lawless.

All the people involved in the production and distribution of the super-soldier drug had been arrested. You had hopes that the drug might end up virtually extinct the way the Quaalude was now. However, you logically knew someone who still had them would try and replicate them. Given the fact that the drugs existed in the first place because someone was trying to replicate what they’d done to Steve way back in 1943.

What you’d stopped being worried about was them bothering you anymore. The Avengers, thanks to Tony, Vision, FRIDAY, and with a little help from Geo, had managed to remove any details regarding the names of people who were experimented on. Which meant there was no one left to know that Geo had powers and no one left to hunt you. You were safe and you could finally have some semblance of a normal life.

It had taken you a while for any of you to trust that. For a month you still didn’t want to go out at all just in case there was some kind of retaliation or last-ditch effort to grab you. When you finally did it was with Bucky and a group of guards. Gradually the guards dropped in number. When all the HYDRA members were convicted you started to go out with just Bucky and every time you went out, there was no one watching you that shouldn’t be. No one followed you or made you feel unsafe. Sure, Bucky would get looks but you could tell the difference between Avengers groupies and the people who had been trying to kidnap your son.

Today was the first time you’d ventured out alone. It was only down the street and you still weren’t brave enough to take Geo out without at least Bucky or Steve with you, but it was a start. You’d only looked over your shoulder a few times. You’d done this alone for years, you knew what to look out for and it wasn’t there. You were safe.

More than safe, you were happy. With all that weight off your shoulders, you were able to just enjoy life again. Every part of it. Being a mother wasn’t just a case of protection and high alert twenty-four/seven. You played with Geo more. You let your guard down and let him get on with the job of being a kid. You started to look back into the things you had studied in college and were seriously beginning to consider studying again so you might be able to have an actual career and not just a cash-under-the-table job that paid your bills but kept you off the books. You were looking at schools for Geo. You were letting yourself be a girlfriend and opening yourself up to the fact that this could be it. You might have actually found two people that were your people the same way your husband had been.

The apartment was alive with sound and smells as you stepped in. Bucky was cooking, he’d just started when you’d ducked down to the bodega for a couple of missing ingredients and now the whole place was full of the scent of garlic, herbs, and cooking tomato. Music was playing over the speaker and Geo seemed to be talking animatedly with the AI as the two of them played some digital version of snap using his tablet. Steve sat with a sketchbook on his knee. There were crayons scattered over the table from when he’d been drawing with Geo but now he was just sitting with his pencil poised but not actually drawing anything.

“He looked up when you came in and smiled. “Hey, sweetheart. How did you go?”

“Good,” you said, as Bucky abandoned whatever it was he was stirring and rushed over to you. “Got a little jumpy at the alleys but there was nothing to worry about.”

“Did you get what I needed?” Bucky asked, digging around your fabric bag while it still hung from your elbow and fishing out items as he found them.

“Yes, honey,” you said, pushing the whole bag into his hands. “Here take it.”

Bucky took the bag and you went to sit down with Steve and Geo. Steve took your hand as you went to pass him, and you let him pull you down into his lap. “I’m proud of you,” he whispered.

“It wasn’t that big of a deal,” you said. “I used to go out on my own all the time when I was on the run. I didn’t have a lot of other choices.”

Steve’s arm circled your waist and he nosed at the side of your neck. “I know. Still. I’m glad you’re starting to feel safe.”

You relaxed in his lap and Geo climbed up onto you. You did feel safe. And loved. And all the things you had missed for three years. Despite the fact you had been trying to go slow for Geo’s sake, it was hard when you felt like this with them. It was clear that Geo was feeling just as safe and at home as you were.

When he was very upset he was still the mommy’s boy he’d always been, but more and more he was turning to Steve and Bucky. Not just when he wanted to be comforted. He did it when he was excited about something, or wanted to play a game, or have a story told to him. He’d ask them to take him out or take him up to the pool. As scary as it was for you to see Geo starting to treat these two men the way he would have his own father, as melancholy as that hit, it was still happening. Geo now had two father figures where he once had none.

Even though neither had said anything about it, you could tell they were seeing Geo as a son too. This was your family now and some moments terrified you, but mostly you couldn’t believe how lucky you were. There were days where you thanked whatever force it was that had led you to not only apply for a lease in Clint Barton’s apartment block but to begin dog sitting for him so that you just happened to be dropping Lucky off at the same time Steve and Bucky were there.

Bucky called you all for dinner and you ate around a table sharing stories about your day and making plans for the following day. Just like a family on an old sitcom, only with extra dads and you all genuinely liked each other.

After dinner you gave Geo his bath and took him to bed, reading to him from a comic about Figment the dragon from that old Disney ride at Epcot. It was a comic that Bucky owned for some reason which was odd because he would have been in cryo freeze during the entire time that ride even existed, yet he had it none-the-less. Geo spent a lot of time looking at each picture so that the thin comic that would normally only take five minutes to get through was being dragged out so it was closer to twenty.

“Bug-key sayed dat dis dwagons was a robod,” Geo said, tapping the cover when you were done reading.

You chuckled. “It was, and it’s weird he even knows that,” you confirmed. “The robot dragon is gone now. We can take you to Disney World some time, then you can see all the different robots. I don’t think any of them will be as smart as FRIDAY though.”

“No…” Geo said, shaking his head. “FWIDAY is da smartest.”

“Thank you, Geo,” FRIDAY replied, the fondness of the little boy evident in her voice.

“Alright, you,” you said, putting the comic away. “Lie down. Time to sleep.”

He flopped back onto the pillow and you kissed his forehead. “Good night, I love you,” you said.

“Wuv you too, mommy,” he replied. “Have sweed dreams.”

“You too, little one.”

“Mommy,” he said as you got up. “I dotta say goodnight to Bug-key and Steeb.”

You chuckled. “I’ll send them in.”

You stepped out of the bedroom to find Bucky and Steve sharing the recliner as they watched the news. “He wants to say goodnight to both of you too.”

“We can manage that,” Steve said as they both got up.

Bucky and Steve went into Geo’s room as you went and got ready for bed too. It was still early but you figured whatever the plans were for tonight, they’d be more enjoyable in your pajamas. When you came out into the bedroom you shared with Bucky and Steve, they were there getting undressed.

“He didn’t cause you any trouble?” You asked.

“No. He just said goodnight and had FRIDAY turn out the lights,” Steve answered.

“I like when I’m here to say goodnight to him,” Bucky added. “He’s so funny how he wishes you sweet dreams too.”

“Yeah, we can use them,” Steve added.

“Speaking of,” you said and looked over at Steve. Lately, when you and Steve had been alone, you’d started talking about Bucky moving in. He was here a lot anyway and the times he wasn’t it felt like he was missing. The three of you still took time to enjoy each other one-on-one, but now you were all happier and more relaxed when it was the three of you.

Bucky froze in the process of stepping out of his jeans and stared at you like a deer in headlights. “What? What did I do?”

“Nothing, Buck,” Steve chuckled. “We were wondering… hoping really, that you’d move in here with us.”

“What? Really?” Bucky said, standing up straight and looking between the two of you.

“Yeah. You don’t have to decide right now…” Steve said.

“No, I want to,” Bucky said, lurching forward, completely forgetting he was still in his jeans and falling flat on his face.

“Bucky!” You yelped, rushing to his side and helping him back up, while Steve watched on with a slightly bemused look on his face.

“I’m okay. I’m good,” Bucky assured you as he got back up and kicked off his pants. “I want to move in. When?”

“Whenever you like,” Steve said. “We can bring your stuff down tomorrow if you like.”

“I do like,” Bucky said. He pulled you close and cradled your face. “Yes, I want to.” He leaned in and kissed you deeply. As the two of you kissed, Bucky reached out to Steve, pulling him closer, so when Bucky pulled back from you, he moved straight to kissing him. You ran your hands down Steve’s chest and nuzzled at Bucky’s neck, nipping at his throat gently.

Bucky pulled back and smirked at you. “You tryin’ to start up some celebrations, huh?”

“Maybe?” You giggled, tugging on his boxers.

“I think that might be something that can be arranged,” Steve teased. He picked you up like you weighed nothing and tossed you onto the bed. You squealed and quickly spread your legs and opened your arms to Bucky as he crawled up your body. He began to unbutton your flannel pajama top and kissed your skin along each new part that became exposed to him. His fingers brushed over your breasts as he pulled the fabric apart and your right nipple, puckered and hardened under the cool metal of his left hand.

Steve took off his boxers and moved up beside you. He leaned in and kissed you. His lips moved slowly against yours and his tongue teased the corner of your mouth. You reached down and massaged his cock. He was already semi-hard and as your palm moved up and down his length and you curled your fingers around his shaft, the blood rushed to it.

Bucky began to grind down against your cunt. You could feel the press of his cock through the fabric of your pants, the thick shaft pushing between your folds and rubbing up and down against your pussy, making your whole body tingle and your cunt start to drip. He leaned down and pulled one of your nipples into his mouth. His teeth pressed against it and you moaned, breaking the kiss with Steve and arching your back so you pushed your breast up into Bucky’s greedy mouth.

Steve moved to his knees, pumping his cock as he looked down at you. You leaned up and lapped over the head as it disappeared and reappeared under the foreskin with each pump of Steve’s hand. He teased the head over your lips and you opened your mouth, letting him guide his cock into your mouth.

As you sucked hard up and down Steve’s shaft, Bucky moved from one breast to the other. His hand slipped down into your pajama pants and he quickly fingered your clit in small circles as he ground his cock against you.

Your whole body buzzed like an electric current was swirling through your veins, making your body thrum. You moaned into Steve’s cock as a hot pit pressed down inside you and your fluids slicked your folds. Bucky pulled back and pulled your pajama pants off. You released Steve’s cock and no sooner had you sat up that Steve was up beside you and pulling you into his lap.

“Mmm… did you want something?” You asked as you straddled his lap and started to grind down on his cock.

Steve cradled your jaw. “I think you know,” he teased. You smirked and leaned in and kissed him deeply. As you dipped your tongue into his mouth, you guided him inside of you.

You both moaned into the kiss and you slowly rolled your hips with his, appreciating the way he stretched and filled you. Bucky got up and grabbed the lube. He moved behind you and kissed your shoulder as he put his hand on Steve’s chest and pushed him back on the bed. You lay down with him, pressing your body against his chest and continuing to bounce on his cock as Bucky lifted Steve’s legs and pushing them up against your sides. He began to apply lube to Steve’s ass, sinking a finger into Steve’s ass.

Steve gasped and bucked up under you. You broke the kiss with Steve and you looked down into his blue eyes. “Feel good, Steve?” You purred.

He groaned and closed his eyes. “Yes. Oh god, yes.”

“You want my cock, Stevie?” Bucky teased.

“Please,” Steve groaned arching his back and forcing his cock up into you deeper.

Bucky took his hand away and slicked his cock. Steve raised his hips needily and as Bucky sunk in Steve groaned and dug his fingers into your hips. You started kissing Steve again and moved with Bucky as he started to thrust. Bucky’s stomach pushed your forward with every snap of his hips, pushing you up and down on Steve’s cock. Steve was breathless and moaning under you both. He reached up and grabbed Bucky’s hand, holding it against your back as the two of you fucked him.

A sheen of sweat began to cling to your skin and your skin prickled. A dull ache built in your cunt, making your walls clench and spasm around Steve’s thick shaft. Steve groaned and his hands opened and closed on your back. You slipped your hand between the two of you and began to finger your clit.

It brought you over. Your orgasm shuddered through you and you moaned loudly. Steve gasped and jerked up under you, coming deep inside your pussy. Bucky kept thrusting. His hand tightened in Steve’s and his hips began to stutter. You kept being bounced forward on Steve’s now softening cock with each thrust of Bucky’s hips. With a groan and a hard thrust, Bucky came.

The three of you slithered into a pile, your breathing coming much more labored than theirs. Bucky rolled on his side and ran his metal fingers down your stomach. “We break you?”

“Mm-hmm…” You hummed. “In the best way.”

“Well we can now do that any time,” he said.

You laughed and pushed him. “Did you forget I have a toddler?”

Bucky hummed and kissed your shoulder.

“Big changes,” Steve said. “It’ll be good though. Us together.”

You smiled and cuddled in between us. He was right. It was a big change. You had been through a lot of change in the last five years, but this was the first one since Geo was born that you felt truly excited about one.

* * *

##  **_To be continued in Until the End of the World…_ **


End file.
